Suspected ASF grips Ukhrul; over 60 pigs dead
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Mamang
Ukhrul, June 03 2022:
After detection of the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) in neighbouring Kamjong district on June 1, reports of the death of more than 60 domestic pigs due to suspected African swine fever have emerged from different parts of Ukhrul district.
Field assistant of the Ukhrul district veterinary office Pangrei said that there have been reports of deaths of domestic pigs in the district's Muirei, Sanakeithel Kamphasom villages near Ukhrul town in the past few days.
She, nevertheless, added that African Swine Fever is yet to be confirmed in Ukhrul district where most of the cases appeared to be that of diseases related to change in the climatic conditions.
She informed that a team of the department rushed to Muirei village on June 2 on receiving a report from the villagers and added that four pigs nad died in the village.
"But the dead pigs were already buried by the locals when we reached the village on Thursday.
We managed to collect blood samples from a pig which was sick and showing symptoms of fever, constipation and loss of appetite," she said.
She said that from the symptoms it looked more like a disease triggered by change in the climatic conditions.
However, the cause of the death, whether it is due to African swine fever or climate change related dis -ease, would be known only after the test results are available, she said.
The samples have been sent to Imphal for testing but the same may be sent outside the state for further investigation.
According to the veterinary official, another departmental team from Imphal went to Sanakeithel on Friday where there have been reports of many domestic pigs succumbing to a viral disease.
"The team included joint director and a doctor and we are awaiting the reports from them", she said.
Sanakeithel headman Vashai Canaan Phungshim Zimik said that around 50 pigs have died in his village and many more pigs have been infected by the disease.
The infected animals had symptoms of vomiting blood, constipation, weakness and loss of appetite, he said.
The headman appealed to the authorities concerned to visit the villages from time to time and provide medications to prevent outbreak of such devastative diseases.
In the case of Kamphasom, pig owners have come to seek medication for their animals at the district veterinary office after seven pigs died of unknown viral disease in the locality.
Pangrei informed that in all the prevailing cases, none of the pigs including the dead and those alive were said to be vaccinated against Hog cholera, a common viral infection in pigs.
She said that during the team's visits, the anti-Hog cholera vaccine was administered to the uninfected animals to protect them from the viral disease.
For the already infected pigs, antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medications were administered as a first aid treatment, she said.
It may be recalled that on June 1 Kamjong district administration through a notification confirmed the outbreak of African Swine Fever amongst the pigs kept in Dang's Farming located at Grihang village in the district.
The district magistrate had declared an area of 1 km radius around Dang's Farming as the infected zone, and the 10 km radius from infected premises as 'Surveillance Zone'.
It was also ordered that no live pig or pig feed or pork and pork products would be allowed to be taken out of or brought into the zone.
It has restricted transportation of goods or ani mals from or out of the infected zone, including carcass, skin or other parts or products of such animals which have come in contact with any animals infected or suspected to be infected from African Swine Fever.
Any activities including animal market or exhibition which involves grouping or gathering of pigs within the zone have also been banned with immediate effect.
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