GUWAHATI: The Assam government has declared Bishnupur-Nadirpar village of Hajo development block in Kamrup district as the epicentre of African Swine Fever (ASF) under the Prevention and Control of Infections and Contagious Disease in Animals Act, 2009.
Amid the incidence of ASF cases in Assam, several restrictions have been imposed on all villages within a one-kilometre radius around the epicentre, designated as infected zones and all villages falling under the 10-km radius around the epicentre are designated as surveillance zones.
Accordingly, no pig or pig feed or pork and pork products shall be allowed to be taken out of or brought into the infected zone. No carrier of goods or animals shall carry any animals from or out of the infected zone.
Carriage of animals (pigs) through roadways or railways through the declared infected zone is, however, allowed as long as the animal is not unloaded in any place within the zone till the issuance of a sanitisation certificate by the competent veterinary authority.
“No person will be allowed to take out any pig alive or dead, which is infected or suspected to be infected from African swine fever. Besides, no person will be allowed to carry any pig feed or breeding material or carcass, skin or other parts or products of such animals which has come in contact with any animal infected or suspected to be infected from African Swine Fever,” an official statement citing the restrictions said.
“No person, organisation or institution shall hold any animal market, animal fair, animal exhibition and carry out any activity which involves grouping or gathering of pigs within the zone. The competent veterinary officer may suo moto or on an application made to him on this behalf, relax the provision in relation to other species of animals other than pigs if he is satisfied that in the public interest it is necessary to accord such relaxation,” it said.
Besides, no person shall bring or attempt to bring into the market, fair, exhibition or other or to any public place pigs which are infected or suspected to be infected with fever.
“The chief veterinary officer or competent officer, if he thinks fit that an animal is infected with African Swine Fever and euthanasia has to be resorted to, for preventing the spread of the disease to other pigs of the area, will issue direction in writing for euthanasia of the animal in the infected zone and carcass to be disposed of by any manner to protect public health and hygiene,” it said.
All municipal, panchayat or village officials and all officials of the panchayat and rural department, dairy development, revenue and agriculture departments shall assist the veterinary officer and the veterinarian in the discharge of their duties or the exercise of their powers under the Act.
ASF was first detected in Assam in February 2020. The disease cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.
According to official data, over 40,000 pigs have died of African Swine Fever in Assam since 2020.
All restrictions mentioned under the infected zone will be applicable in the “Surveillance Zone” except Clause 10, wherein the animals will not be subjected to euthanasia.
“All the pigs under the surveillance zone will be subject to intensive surveillance, which will include clinical surveillance, virological surveillance and serological surveillance. Intensified surveillance on domestic pig population adjacent to forest areas will be carried out in consultation with the forest department,” the statement said.
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