ASF outbreak unabated in Mizoram - over 28,350 pigs killed or culled

Aizawl: Death of pigs both in various farms and homes continue unabated in Mizoram causing a huge financial loss to farmers and rearers with over 10,050 pigs killed and over 18,300 pigs culled due to the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) since February, officials said on Monday.

Mizoram Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AHV) Department officials said that though the ratio of pig deaths due to ASF and culling reduced to a large extent recently, the outbreak continues unabated in many districts.

According to unofficial estimates, pig farmers and rearers in the mountainous northeastern states have suffered colossal losses of over Rs 23 to 25 crore due to the outbreak of this infectious disease since February this year.

The ASF is a highly communicable disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate. The disease, however, does not affect humans.

This year's first ASF case was reported on February 9 in Leithum village in Champhai district along the Myanmar border.

The AHV officials said that pigs both in government and private farms and homes in over 170 villages in six districts - Aizawl, Champhai, Lunglei, Saitual, Khawzawl and Serchhip - have been infected by the ASF outbreak so far.

The ASF first reported bordering Mizoram in 2021, when according to the AHV officials, 33,420 pigs and piglets died due to the contagious disease while 12,800 pigs and piglets died in 2022 and 1,040 in 2023.

The first case of ASF in Mizoram was reported in mid-March, 2021, from Lungsen village in Lunglei district along the Bangladesh border and since then, the disease has resurfaced every year.

Officials said that after the outbreak of ASF, the AHV department following the central guidelines has declared various villages and localities in six districts of the 11 districts in Mizoram as infected areas under the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009.

To prevent the spreading of the ASF virus, the department has barred the supply of pigs, piglets and pork from the infected areas.

The AHV department officials said that the state government also banned the import of pigs and piglets from neighbouring states and countries where often ASF infestations are being reported.

They said that the outbreak of ASF mostly occurs when the climate begins to warm up and pre-monsoon rain commences in the state.

The government has provided compensation to several hundred families for the loss of pigs due to the disease.

According to experts, the outbreak of ASF may have been caused by pigs or pork brought from neighbouring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and the adjoining states of the northeast.

Mizoram shares a 510-km-long unfenced border with Myanmar and 318 km with Bangladesh.

Pork is one of the most common and popular meats consumed by both the tribals and non-tribals in the northeastern region.

With heavy demand for pork in the region, its annual business is worth around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore in the northeast region, with Assam being the largest supplier.

Meanwhile, researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati last month shared a study on the biochemistry of the ASF virus protein, focusing on understanding the biochemical mechanisms of infection to develop efficient management techniques.

The IIT research team investigated the proteins identified in the virus's outer membrane (capsule), with a special emphasis on the p30 protein.

This protein is essential for the virus's attachment to host cells because it binds to specific receptors on the cell surface and allows the viral and cell membranes to fuse. Membrane proteins also assist viruses avoid detection by the host cell's immune system, the study said.