DEHRADUN: After the north-eastern states of Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, Uttarakhand has now reported cases of African Swine Fever (ASF), which causes fever, nausea and diarrhoea in pigs, is highly communicable, has no vaccine and in most cases, no cure. The government has urged residents to avoid having pork for at least the next one week.
Over the last one week, authorities were alerted to around 200 pig deaths from cities like Dehradun, Kotdwar, Chamoli and Muni ki Reti (in Tehri Garhwal district). Samples were sent to an animal diagnostic lab in Bareilly, which confirmed ASF.
The animal husbandry department went on alert and asked necessary sanitisation and fogging to be carried out in areas where the infection was reported. In Dehradun, over 80 kg of pork has been destroyed in the last two days.
“After over 80 such cases were reported from Dehradun in the last two days, we conducted meetings with pork shop owners and carried out inspections. Breeders were asked to immediately isolate the sick animals and bury the dead, so the infection doesn’t spread to healthy animals. We have asked people to avoid pig meat for the next week or so, to allow us time to get the situation under control,” said senior veterinary officer, Dehradun, Dr DC Tiwari.
In the last four to five days, around 75 dead pigs were found in areas like Aampadav, Jhulabasti etc. in Pauri Garhwal’s Kotdwar.
“An inspection in Aampadav revealed several pig carcasses. Local owners were instructed not to dispose of the bodies in the open, as it could lead to further spread of the infection. They have also been asked to isolate pigs in separate pens. We have buried the dead ones as of now,” said an official from the Kotdwar Nagar Nigam. However, officials said there’s no reason to panic as the infection doesn’t spread to humans. They have asked pig owners to immediately inform authorities in case an animal exhibits symptoms of ASF.
Instances of ASF first emerged in India in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in May 2020. It got worse recently. In April, Mizoram recorded over 500 pig deaths, Sikkim over 100 deaths and Assam two. In the same month, some cases of ASF emerged in Tripura. Earlier this month, a Manipur farm also reported an outbreak.
