Mysterious disease claims several pigs in Dimapur

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Jan. 15 (EMN): An unknown disease has reportedly claimed several pigs in Dimapur district in the past few days.

A pig farmer informed Eastern Mirror that 39 of his pigs including 29 piglets and 10 pigs weighing over 100 kilogram have died. He shared that the pigs would fall sick and die within a day.

The pigs started dying after the Christmas festival, he said.

The farmer informed that only three pigs were left and one among them is also sick. He explained that the pigs would eat fine but suddenly experience convulsion and not recover.

It was informed that six of his pigs died in one day. He further added that pigs often die every year during this season.

Another pig farmer informed that six of his pigs died with the same symptoms.

The deputy director of Dimapur district Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Zubemo Humtsoe, stated that classical swine fever is endemic and very much prevalent with such reports every year.

He attributed most of the classical swine fever cases in Nagaland to import of pigs from other states. He added that such cases are high especially during winter season.

When queried about the recent cases, he replied that the department has not received any report so far saying, “until and unless it is reported to the department, we cannot ascertain the cause”.

He added that the department has to conduct post mortem or blood serum test in order to ascertain whether it is classical swine flu or African swine fever.

With no complain and report from any village in and around Dimapur, he said the department cannot ascertain the cause for the death of pigs.

The deputy director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Sciences department, Dr. Ilang Iheilung, also said that there was no confirmation about African swine fever in the state till now. While confirming mortality in pigs, he has ruled out prevalence of swine fever in the state.