African swine fever reoccurs in Kohima; DC issues directives

April 18, 2024 22 Views No Comment

Kohima, April 18 (MExN): The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kohima has designated certain areas in the district as infected and surveillance zones in view of the detection of African Swine Fever (ASF).

According to the State DIPR, Kidima Village (within a 1km radius of infected premises) has been notified as the “Infected Zone.”
Furthermore, a 10km radius from infected premises has been declared as the “Surveillance Zone.”
In this regard, the DC of Kohima has imposed various restrictions in the infected and surveillance zones, including a ban on the slaughter of pigs until further orders.

Import and export of pigs and piglets, as well as transportation of pigs and pork, are also prohibited.

According to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), ASF is a highly contagious serious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs of all breeds and ages with no effective vaccine or treatment.

Since its first emergence in 2007, ASF has been detected in over 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Pacific, and the Caribbean.
However, ASF is not infectious to people, though they can spread the disease to pigs through their clothes and equipment, informed an FAO advisory on ASF.

In the recent past, detection of ASF has been periodically notified in Nagaland, particularly in the month of April.
Reports citing official data from the State’s Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services (AH&VS) department informed that ASF was most lethal in 2022 when there were 6403 confirmed deaths of pigs (till July), followed by 2669 in 2021 (till July).