Disease which killed ponies confirmed
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 02 2026: The Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services, Manipur, has confirmed the presence of Trypanosoma evansi (Surra) among ponies in and around Hiyanglam and Wabagai in Kakching district, following the death of eight ponies in the area.

The first death was reported on August 13, 2026 .

In a statement issued by its Director L Arunkumar today, the department said that the disease is mainly transmitted through blood-feeding biting flies and the present occurrence does not pose a zoonotic (infectious illnesses that spread from animals to humans) threat to the public.

Disease which killed ponies confirmed

The department has appealed to pony owners and the general public to cooperate with veterinary teams in surveillance, treatment and other necessary disease-control measures.

Moreover, pony owners have been advised not to panic, maintain proper hygiene and animal management, minimise exposure to biting flies, and avoid movement of sick animals.

Owners have also been asked to promptly report animals showing symptoms such as fever, nasal discharge, weakness, breathing difficulty, coughing or swelling to the nearest Veterinary Hospital, Dispensary or Mobile Veterinary Unit (Toll free number 1962) .

The department said that it initiated an investigation after reports of illness among Manipuri ponies in and around Hiyanglam and Wabagai area in Kakching district.

Saying that the affected animals were reported to have symptoms including high fever, nasal discharge, weakness, breathing difficulty, coughing and swelling in the brisket and hind-limb regions, it added that Mobile Veterinary Units and a team from Kakching Veterinary Hospital visited the affected areas on separate occasions and provided symptomatic treatment.

Subsequently, samples, including nasal swabs, whole blood and serum, were collected from the eight ponies on September 24 and processed at the Disease Investigation Laboratory, Sanjenthong, it said.

The samples were subsequently sent to the ICAR-National Research Centre on Equines (ICAR-NRCE), Hisar, Haryana, on September 26 for further investigation.

The ICAR-NRCE informed the department through an email received on October 2 that the samples had tested positive for Trypanosoma evansi (Surra) and advised appropriate treatment.

The department has since initiated specific treatment and veterinary management of the affected animals.

According to the department, the disease is mainly transmitted through blood-feeding biting flies and the present occurrence does not pose a general zoonotic threat to the public.

The department has requested ICAR-NRCE, Hisar, to depute an expert team to Manipur for further investigation, field assessment and technical guidance, it said.

The Manipur Equestrian Association, had also appealed to all pony owners, equestrian clubs and other stakeholders across the State to remain alert but not panic a couple of days back.

The Association had informed that so far there have been no reports of similar sickness in the animals at Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur and Thoubal districts.

It urged pony owners to carefully observe the health of their animals and immediately report any unusual symptoms, sickness or suspected cases to the Department of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Services at the earliest.