Aizawl, Mar 29: A fresh outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Mizoram has led to the deaths of over 510 pigs within two weeks, officials confirmed on Saturday. The highly contagious disease has spread across 13 villages and localities in Lawngtlai and Mamit districts, prompting the government to implement urgent containment measures.
The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) has culled around 100 pigs and piglets to prevent further spread. The outbreak was officially confirmed on March 20 after testing at the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.
The infection was first detected in Lawngtlai district, which shares an unfenced international border with Myanmar and Bangladesh, before spreading to Mamit district, which borders Tripura and Bangladesh. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation to mitigate further losses.
Mizoram has suffered significant financial setbacks due to recurring ASF outbreaks. In 2023 alone, the disease killed over 1,100 pigs, while nearly 1,000 more were culled. In 2022, ASF claimed 12,795 pigs, leading to 11,686 cullings. The most severe outbreak occurred in 2021, when 33,417 pigs perished, and 12,568 were culled, resulting in financial losses of Rs 334.14 crore.
The first ASF case of 2024 was detected on February 9 in Leithum village, Champhai district, which also shares an unfenced border with Myanmar. Since its initial outbreak in March 2021, ASF has devastated Mizoram’s pig farming industry, causing total financial losses of Rs 896.69 crore.
Although ASF does not pose a threat to humans, its high mortality rate among pigs makes it one of the most destructive livestock diseases. Experts suggest that the outbreak may have been triggered by infected pigs or pork transported from Myanmar, Bangladesh, or neighboring northeastern states.
Pork is a staple in the Northeast, with the regional pork industry valued at Rs 8,000-10,000 crore annually. Any disruption due to ASF threatens farmers’ livelihoods and the local economy, with Assam being the largest pork supplier in the region.
The Mizoram government continues to compensate affected farmers and has intensified containment efforts to curb further outbreaks and protect the state’s pig farming sector.
