Nagaland has reported an outbreak of African swine fever.
The State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services department on Saturday said the outbreak of the African swine fever was confirmed through RT-PCR test by the National Institute of High Security Animal Disease, Bhopal, from the samples submitted from Phek and Kiphire districts.
Following the confirmation, the department has declared a radius of one kilometer from the epicentre of the outbreak of the disease in the two districts as infected zone and a radius of 10 kilometers as surveillance zone with immediate effect until further notice.
The department has asked the public, pig farmers, pig traders, butchers, village functionaries and ward/colony members to remain cautious and vigilant.
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They have also been asked to report any unusual mortality of domestic pigs and feral pigs to the nearest veterinary institute and assist the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services and Environment, Forest and Climate Change departments for sero-surveillance, control, containment and eradication as per the national action plan issued by the Centre.
The veterinary department of Nagaland said the outbreak of the disease has been notified as per the “The Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Disease in Animal Act, 2009”.
African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease that affects both domestic and feral swine of all ages.
African swine fever is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is not a food safety issue.