Guwahati: An outbreak of African Swine Fever or ASF – a highly infectious hemorrhagic viral disease of pigs – has been reported from two separate locations in eastern Assam’s Dibrugarh and Tinsukia districts.
Following this, authorities will be carrying out a culling operation in Dibrugarh district today. In Dibrugarh district, the disease has been reported from Bhugalipathar forest village under Khowang development block where 21 pigs have died so far after getting infected from ASF.
The administration has already marked the village as the ‘epicenter’ for the disease under the provision of ‘The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009’.
Officials said that a 30 member Rapid Response Team led by Dr. J.P. Hatibaruah has been formed by the Dibrugarh district veterinary department which will carry out the culling operation under the supervision of 3 experts from Guwahati.
Likewise, in Tinsukia district too, the administration has declared Gauripur, Sitolpur and Philobari under Doomdooma revenue circle as the epicenter for the ASF outbreak after reports of pigs deaths came in.
The administration through an order had banned sale and movement of live pigs and pork and pork products within a radius of 10 km from the epicenter.
