African Swine Fever Affects Assam As Govt Orders Culling Of Over 12,000 Pigs

In a major hit to Assam's piggery sector, as many as 18,000 pigs have died after contracting the incurable African swine fever (ASF) across 14 districts of the state. Owing to which, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, ordered culling of nearly 12,000 pigs in a bid to check the spread of the contagious and fatal disease.

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All pigs in disease epicentre of 1 km are stamped, culled

As per protocol, once samples of dead pigs are tested positive for ASF in an area, the one km radius around it is declared as disease epicentre. All pigs in that area are stamped and culled. An area of one km radius outside the epicentre is called surveillance zone and a radius of 9 km outside -- the buffer zone. There are 30 epicentres across the 14 affected districts.

The sector which had already been battling for its survival due to COVID-19 lockdown, made headlines when the disease was first detected this year in May. Neighbouring states have also banned the import of pigs from the state and added to the woes of the industry.

Mortality rate of 90 to 100% with no vaccine

Pig farm owners insist the government¡¯s figure is conservative and insist over 1,00,000 pigs have died of the disease. There is no vaccine for the disease and it has a mortality rate of 90% to 100%.

The farm owners have complained that there has not been much help from the government in culling nor have they been compensated for the losses. However, a senior govt official has said that the owners of the 12,000 pigs will get the money deposited in their bank accounts, while a proposal has been sent to the government for giving financial support to the owners of the 18,000 pigs that have died already.

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Fever does not transmit from animals to humans

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, ASF is a severe viral disease that affects both domestic and wild pigs. The disease does not transmit from animals to humans. Its transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and objects such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, knives. Unlike the regular swine fever, there is no vaccine for ASF.

Assam had the highest pig population--2.1 million--in the country, according to the 2019 livestock census.