Outbreak of African Swine Fever Raises Alarm in Arunachal Pradesh

African Swine Fever Detected in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, July 2: A serious outbreak of the highly infectious African Swine Fever (ASF) has been reported in Luaksim village, located in the Kanubari circle of Longding district, Arunachal Pradesh, causing significant concern among local pig farmers and officials.

The infection was identified after a farmer noticed her pig showing signs of illness on June 26. Dr. Tilling Tayo, the Assistant Chief Technical Officer (Animal Science) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Longding, visited the site to assess the animal. Initially appearing healthy, the pig soon exhibited alarming symptoms such as nasal and ocular bleeding along with a high fever, raising suspicions of swine fever.

In light of the previous deaths of six pigs in the same village during the first week of June, Dr. Tayo collected blood and nasal swab samples for laboratory testing. These samples were sent to the ICAR - National Research Centre on Pig in Guwahati, where they confirmed the presence of swine fever along with a mixed infection of Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2).

Upon confirmation, Dr. Tayo promptly informed the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kanubari on July 1, advocating for immediate containment measures as outlined under protocols for notifiable livestock diseases. The district administration is now expected to implement biosecurity measures and issue advisories to curb the spread of the disease.

African Swine Fever is a highly contagious disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs, characterized by an extremely high mortality rate and severe economic repercussions for pig farming communities. Notably, there is no known cure or vaccine available, making early detection and stringent containment efforts crucial.

Farmers in the area have been advised to stay alert, report any unusual pig deaths or symptoms immediately, and refrain from moving animals to or from affected regions to prevent further outbreaks.

Additionally, Gabriel D Wangsu, the State’s Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Minister, has issued a new advisory for pig farmers across the state. This follows alarming predictions from the ICAR-National Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology via its National Animal Disease Referral Expert System (NADRES v2), which indicated a high risk of African Swine Fever and Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in various districts. The Papum Pare district is currently facing a ‘very high risk’ of ASF outbreaks, while West Siang has been identified as particularly vulnerable to FMD.