Our Correspondent
Imphal, June 2 (EMN): After Nagaland, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, cases of the contagious African swine fever (ASF) were detected at a piggery farm in Manipur’s Kamjong district, which borders Myanmar.
According to Director of Manipur Veterinary and Animal Husbandry department Ng Ibotombi, the outbreak of ASF was confirmed amongst the pigs at Dang Farming located under Grihang village in Kamjong district. The clinical samples collected from the farm were sent for testing outside the state and the results were received on May 29.
Without delay, a team of department officials were sent to the said village to oversee the situation and conduct immediate measures under the National Action Plan for control containment and eradication of ASF, the official said.
The department officials have also started to initiate other necessary measures by forming three rapid response teams, he added.
When asked about the source of the disease, the official informed that the matter is under investigation now.
Following the report, the Kamjong district administration in consultation with the concerned officials also started to take up necessary steps for control, containment and eradication of the disease and prevent further spread.
Deputy Commissioner of Kamjong district had even declared that 1 km radius around Dang Farming, Grihang village as the infected zone, and 10 km radius from the infected premises as “Surveillance zone,” in a notification on June 1.
The DC ordered that no live pig or pig feed or pork and pork products could be allowed to be taken out of or brought into the zone. No carrier of goods or animals would carry any animals from or out of the infected zone. No person is allowed to take out any pig alive or dead which is infected or suspected to be infected ASF, the notification said.
The Deputy Commissioner’s steps comes into force a day after Commissioner(Veterinary and Animal husbandry)issued an order directing the concerned authorities to take up immediate measures under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act,2009 and as provided under National Action Plan for control containment and eradication of ASF.
Meanwhile, Dr. Gideon Shadang, who is the owner of Dang Farming, when contacted via phone said that nearly 80 pigs of Hampshire and Yorkshire breed were culled at his farm, after his pigs were infected with the disease in the last few days.
Shadang, a former teacher turned entrepreneur, had invested his hard earned money with a dream of improving the local economy. He informed that a few pigs which were kept on his farm under observation will also be culled.
As per latest livestock census, there are around 2,35,255 pigs including 25,907 in Ukhrul district and 46,663 in Bishnupur district, in Manipur.
