Five African swine fever cases detected in SBS Nagar, culling starts today

Deputy commissioner Ankurjeet Singh declares 1km as ‘infected zone’, barring the movement of any live/dead pig out of the area

Five cases of highly contagious African Swine Fever (ASF) virus among the pigs have been reported in the piggery farm located in Bhaura village of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar on Wednesday.

The African swine fever has a 100% fatality rate among pigs.

Taking note of the disease, deputy commissioner Ankurjeet Singh declared a 1km area around the epicentre of the disease as ‘infected zone’, while a 10 km area around the outbreak as ‘surveillance zone’.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), the ASF is a severe viral disease that affects wild and domestic pigs, resulting in an acute haemorrhagic fever. There has been no medicine or vaccination so far.

Ranjiv Bali, nodal officer (ASF) of the animal husbandry department, said as many as five samples were collected and all of them turned out to be positive for the deadly disease.

“The disease has a 100% fatality rate among pigs. Since there is no medicine or vaccination available, we have left with no option but to go for culling of the infected animals. The culling will begin from Thursday,” Bali said, adding that the virus does not spread to humans but transmits easily among animals, with pigs at higher risk.

“We have already issued an advisory related to it and those involved in piggery businesses have been alerted about it,” he said.

Meanwhile, DC Singh said under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animal Act, certain measures have been put in place in order to control the spread of the virus.

“Besides demarcating infected and surveillance zones, those involved in pig farming within the limits have been restricted from going beyond a radius of 10 km from the epicentre. Similarly, there will be a complete ban on the movement of pigs and pig products from other states and districts adjoining the district,” he added.

He said there will be a complete ban on taking any live/dead pig out of the infected area or bringing it into the affected area from outside the area.

Meanwhile, an official of the animal husbandry department said that after the culling process, the post-mortem will be conducted and the samples will be sent to the Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (RDDL), Jalandhar, and the National Institute of High-Security Animal Diseases, Bhopal, for further detailed analysis.

“Though the situation is under control but the virus can cause massive losses in pig populations and has serious economic consequences, especially for small-scale farmers,” an official said.