Control measures in place, claims Vety Director
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 02 2022:
Following detection of African Swine Flu at Grihang village in Kamjong district, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services Director Dr Ng Ibotombi has claimed that adequate measures have been taken up to control and contain the disease.
Speaking to media persons at his Sanjenthong office this afternoon, Dr Ibotombi informed that three rapid response teams (RRT) have been constituted apart from enforcing a special SOP to tackle the disease.
Sanitization, culling and surveillance operations are going on, he said.
The area within one Km radius of the piggery farm where African Swine Flu was detected has been declared as Infected Zone while the Surveillance Zone encompasses all the areas within 10 Km radius of the farm.
Due advisories have been issued to this effect, the Veterinary Director said.
Sale and transportation of pigs, pork and feeds have been banned inside both the Infected Zone and Surveillance Zone, he continued.
On receiving a report on May 11 that some pigs had died in the particular farm, a team of the Directorate of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services was sent to Grihang the next day.
On reaching the village, the team learnt that pigs started dying from the last week of April.
The team collected 17 samples, epidemiological data as well as history on May 12 .
The samples were sent to the Advanced Animal Disease Diagnosis and Management Consortium, Guwahati.
A report sent by the North Eastern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Guwahati on May 27 confirmed that the pigs were infected with African Swine Flu, Dr Ibotombi said.
Subsequently, adequate measures were taken up to control and contain the disease after separate notifications were issued by the Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services Commissioner on May 31 and the Kamjong DC on June 1, he said.
Although African Swine Flu was unheard of in India, the disease has been reported from most of the North Eastern States.
Luckily , African Swine Flu is not transmitted to human beings, Dr Ibotombi said.
He then appealed to all the people engaged in rearing pigs to follow scientific and hygienic methods and ensure that the pig pens are inaccessible by wild animals.
He also appealed to all pig farmers to inform Veterinary Department in time if they suspect African Swine Flu for the disease can be contained easily if detected early.
The Veterinary Director further appealed to all those people rearing horses not to let out horses on roads and other public places.
If the horse owners do not have facility or space to keep their horses tethered, they may keep their horses at Marjing Polo Complex, Pangei or the Manipur Horse Riding & Polo Association's complex located at Lamphelpat, he added.