SHILLONG, Nov 13: Undeterred by the preventions, African Swine Fever (ASF) has killed more than 400 pigs in Meghalaya since June this year when the first case of an infection was detected in Amlarem, West Jaintia Hills.
Speaking to The Shillong Times here on Friday, Principal Secretary of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department, GHP Raju, said that after Amlaren Sub-Division the disease was later transmitted to pigs in Ri Bhoi.
The spread of ASF is confined to Khasi and Jaintia Hills as of now and there no cases have been reported in five districts of Garo Hills.
Claiming that the situation is now under control, Raju informed that the disease entered the state through Assam-Meghalaya border.
Almost 20,000-30,000 pigs have diedin Assam and by the time doctors could identify the cause as ASF, the disease had spread like wildfire in the neighbouring state with most people having no clue about it, he said, adding that pig carcasses were dumped in nearby rivers, whereas it should have been buried 5-6 feet in the ground.
“Due to lack of knowledge about the disease initially, it entered Meghalaya,’ Raju said.
A total of 404 pigs, which died, were from 127 villages across the state.
Raju also informed that the situation in the affected villages is being observed by the department. “Situation is under control and we are monitoring it with the help of 129 rapid response teams. The teams swing into action on receiving any information about ASF; take samples, contain the area and also create awareness among the people about the disease,” he said.
ASF is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease. It was discovered by Montgomery in Kenya in 1921, as a new disease causing high mortalities in recently imported European pigs.
It is also said that most of the people get confused between ASF and Classical Swine fever, as the symptoms are almost identical but a vaccine for the latter is available while there is no vaccine for ASF.