AIZAWL, June 10 - The Mizoram Government has sounded alert following the outbreak of �African swine fever� in some South-east Asian countries.
Officials of State Animal Husbandry and Veterinary (AH&Vety) department said there is possibility of the outbreak hitting Mizoram any time.
�The virus is more dangerous than Classical Swine Flu (CSF) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus. So massive precautionary measures have to be taken to avoid the outbreak,� an official said. He also said that the State Government has constituted a committee on �Preparedness for African Swine Fever� involving officials of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department and College of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry to prevent possible outbreak of the swine disease.
Citing that the �African swine flu� is more dangerous than other common swine fever, Animal Husbandry and Veterinary department officials said any pig or piglet once infected with the disease has little chance of survival. �The virus once spread could not be contained like any other swine fever,� they said. The officials also said that they will conduct a laboratory test on sausage imported from China as the country is currently being hit by the �African Swine Fever�. The disease, however, does not affect humans, they added.
Swine flu like PRRS and CSF had hit entire Mizoram last year, killing more than 2,000 pigs. The PRRS also hit Mizoram in 2013 and 2016. More than 3,000 pigs and piglets had died in 2013 and over 4,000 pigs were culled due to the outbreak of PRRS in 2016.
