Nearly 1,500 pigs died of African Swine Fever since January in Mizoram

Aizawl: The African Swine Fever (ASF) continued to wreak havoc in piggeries in Mizoram, killing nearly 1,500 pigs and piglets since January, an official of the state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department said.

The outbreak has currently affected 80 villages or localities across seven districts, she said.

She said 64 pigs died, while 235 were culled on Thursday.'At least 1,488 pigs have died due to ASF, and 3,002 culled to prevent the dreaded swine fever since January,' the official said.

The outbreak was first reported at Lungsen village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021.

Officials believed the outbreak was caused by pigs illegally imported from the neighbouring country.

Mizoram shares a 318-km-long international border with Bangladesh.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department said that 33,417 pigs died due to ASF in 2021, 12,795 in 2022 and 1,039 in 2023.

It said that 12,568 pigs have been culled in 2021 to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever, 11,686 in 2022 and 928 in 2023.

The state government continued to impose a ban on the import of pigs from outside.

The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department has also put up strict measures, including prohibition of import or export of pigs from the infected zones.