African swine fever kills 2,500 Assam pigs

Guwahati, May 4

The first instance of African swine fever has been reported in the country in Assam where the disease has killed around 2,500 pigs across 306 villages, Animal Husbandry Minister Atul Bora said.

Despite the go-ahead from the Centre, the state government will not cull the animals immediately and choose an alternative option to prevent the spread of the disease, Bora told a press conference on Sunday. While swine flu can spread from animals to humans, swine fever does not, and therefore is not a public health threat.

“The National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, has confirmed that it is African Swine Fever (ASF). The Central Government has informed us that it is the first instance of the disease in the country,” Bora said. According to a 2019 census by the department, the pig population in the state was 21 lakh which has increased in recent times to around 30 lakh, he added. “We have discussed with experts if we can save the pigs without culling them,” he said. — PTI