North Lakhimpur: More than 10 people reportedly fell ill in Malaysia Chariali area of Maatmora in Assam’s Dhakuakhana on Sunday morning after consuming pork for dinner the previous night.
The affected individuals complained of nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea after eating pork believed to have been purchased from the same roadside seller.
According to one of the affected residents, the group had purchased pork liver, heart and intestine from a roadside vendor at Raghu Tiniali in Maatmora.
All those who fell ill had reportedly consumed meat from the same pig. Family members subsequently took several of the affected people to the Dhakuakhana Sub-Divisional Hospital, where they are undergoing treatment. Some others are reportedly receiving treatment at home.
Those identified as being treated at the hospital include Narayan Panging, 48, Maneswar Mili, 55, Pinky Panging, 35, Joydeep Panging, 19, Devi Panging, 15, Rimpi Panging, 17, Uttam Doley, 30, and Markle Pegu, 50.
One of the affected residents said he had asked the vendor about the quality of the pork before purchasing it.
“I enquired about the quality of the pork from the seller in the morning and he assured me it was the best, so I bought some and cooked its liver and intestine for lunch. But in the evening my family and I began to feel severe pain in my stomach, fever and nausea and frequent loose motion,” the victim said from the hospital.
The incident has raised concerns in an area that has witnessed repeated outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) among pigs in recent years.
Villagers, however, have ruled out ASF as the cause of illness among those who consumed the pork. The cause of the reported illness has not yet been officially established.
The greater Dhakuakhana area has recorded recurring ASF outbreaks over the past several years, prompting authorities to cull hundreds of pigs as part of efforts to prevent the disease from spreading.
On May 30, 17 pigs were reportedly found dead due to ASF in Dhakuakhana. Subsequently, the Dhakuakhana administration imposed an indefinite ban on the sale and transportation of pigs and pork in the area from June 3.
The Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department, Assam, had also issued an advisory on African Swine Fever control and containment, along with a standard operating procedure for the transportation of live pigs to and through the state.
The advisory was issued on June 6, 2026, under E-File No. 374465/1784418/2026/1.
Authorities are yet to establish whether the reported illnesses are linked to contaminated pork, food poisoning or any other cause. Further investigation and medical assessment are expected to determine the reason behind the illness.