Shillong: The African Swine Fever (ASF) has claimed 389 domestic pigs since the outbreak of this fatal disease in pigs with almost 100 per cent mortality rate over the last two weeks in Meghalaya, an official said on Thursday.
Principal Secretary for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department, G.H.P.Raju said ASF has spread to other parts of the State with large number of cases being reported in different districts since the outbreak of the fatal disease.
He said the first case of the disease was first reported from Umshorshor village under Umsning Block in Ri-Bhoi District and designated as the epicentre of ASF.
“So far there have been 234 suspected ASF deaths of pigs in In Ri-Bhoi district, 135 pigs deaths East Khasi Hills district, 88 from West Khasi Hills district and 42 from Amlarem in Jaintia Hills district. 25 deaths of pigs have moreover been reported from other districts of the State,” Raju said.
He said the veterinarians have collected the samples from the dead pigs and sent them for ASF confirmation test from Guwahati. Raju said the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department has designated all villages falling under one kilometer radius of the epicentre as infected zone.
Villages falling under the 10km radius surrounding the epicentre of the disease have been designated as surveillance zones,he said. Moreover, several restrictions have been placed in these designated villages by the department.
The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department has imposed several restrictions after the confirmation of cases. It has banned movement of pigs (dead or alive), stopped movement of pig feed, pork or pork products from the affected areas.
