DIBRUGARH, Aug 18 - At least four villages of the district here have been notified as �Epicentres� of African Swine Fever (ASF) disease by the State government.
The villages include Dhemechi, Moran under Khowang Development Block, Panigaon Kolakhowa under Barbaruah Development Block, Romai tea estate, Lahowal under Lahowal Development Block and Sonowal gaon, Naharkatia under Joypur Development Block.
As per the government notification, villages within one kilometre radius around the epicentre have been designated as �infected zone� and the villages falling under the 10 kilometre radius around the epicentre are designated as �surveillance zone�.
As per restrictions imposed in the infected zone, live pig or pig feed or pork and pork products shall not be allowed to be taken out of or brought into the infected zone. No carrier of goods or animals shall carry any animal from or out of the infected zone. Carriage of animals (pigs) through roadways or railways through the declared infected zone, however, is allowed subject so long as the animal is not unloaded in any place within the zone till the issuance of sanitization certificate by the competent Veterinary authority. No person is allowed to take out any pig alive or dead which is infected or suspected to be infected from African Swine Fever. Among several other restrictions, if the Chief Veterinary Officer or Competent Officer thinks fit that an animal (pig) which is infected with African Swine Fever and euthanasia has to be restored 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 manager to protect the public health and hygiene, the notification read.
Further, all the pigs under the surveillance zone will be subject to intensive surveillance, which will include clinical surveillance, virological surveillance and scrological surveillance, among others.
