Swine fever affects pig farming in Assam amid COVID-19 outbreak

The pig farming industry in Assam is facing a huge loss due to the menace of swine fever which has killed over 700 pigs in Sivsagar district of Assam.

Sivasagar: The pig rearers in Sivsagar district of Assam are facing the menace of swine fever which has killed over 700 pigs in the district, a source said.

Reportedly, the outbreak of swine fever among the pigs have also led to panic and apprehensions among people in most of the areas as most of them are mistaking it to be swine flu.

The owners of the pig in Assam are suffering financially in the wake of ongoing lockdown due to novel coronavirus.

"I would like to clarify that this is not swine flu but it is classical swine fever. There is an outbreak of this disease in the district, the mortality rate of which is 80 per cent. We have started vaccination immediately so as to stop the further spread of the disease," said Sivsagar district Veterinary officer Akshay Bhat Kesari while talking to ETV Bharat.

He further added that there is no record of swine fever infecting humans in the past. "However, we have stopped movement of pigs among the villages and banned the sale of pork for time being to allay apprehension among the people," said Kesari.

The officer, however, admitted that the vaccination programme undertaken by the district to treat swine fever has been affected due to the restriction imposed in view of coronavirus.

"Despite many challenges, we have appealed to the district administration to allow the movement of our field staff so that a maximum number of animals can be vaccinated and the spread of the classical swine fever can be stopped," the officer said.