ASF kills over 1,050 pigs in 3 districts of Mizoram

IANS April 5, 2025 249 views

Mizoram is battling a severe African Swine Fever outbreak that has already killed over 1,050 pigs across three border districts. The highly infectious disease has been devastating for local farmers, causing significant economic losses estimated at nearly Rs 900 crore since 2021. Animal Husbandry teams are aggressively culling infected pigs to prevent further spread in regions bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh. Despite the massive impact, the disease does not affect human health, offering a small consolation to the affected agricultural communities.

"ASF is a highly infectious disease among pigs with a very high mortality rate" - AHVD Official
ASF kills over 1,050 pigs in 3 districts of Mizoram
New Delhi, April 5: The African Swine Fever (AFS), which resurfaced in Mizoram last month, so far killed over 1,050 pigs, officials said.

Key Points

1

ASF impacts three districts bordering Myanmar and Bangladesh

2

Over 400 pigs culled to prevent disease spread

3

State has lost Rs 896.69 crore since 2021

4

First 2024 case reported in February

An official from Mizoram's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) said on Friday that the department so far declared 34 localities in three districts as ASF-infected zones -- Lawngtlai, Mamit and Siaha.

Mizoram’s Lawngtlai shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, Mamit, borders Tripura and Bangladesh and Siaha shares borders with Myanmar.

Several teams of AHVD have culled over 400 pigs and piglets in the three districts so far. The fresh outbreak of ASF was confirmed on March 20 through tests in the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.

According to the AHVD officials, earlier last month, a fresh outbreak of ASF hit the Lawngtlai district.

The state government is monitoring the situation closely, as efforts are being made to curb the spread of the deadly disease in the unaffected areas.

Last year, Mizoram suffered a loss of Rs 336.49 crore due to the outbreak of ASF, which left 15,000 pigs dead while around 24,200 pigs were culled to prevent the spread of the disease.

The outbreak of the contagious disease started in mid-March 2021, and since then, the ASF has caused huge losses to farmers and government farms.

In 2021, around 33,417 pigs and piglets died, and 12,568 were culled due to infectious disease, while in 2022, at least 12,795 pigs and piglets died and 11,686 were culled, and in 2023, 1,139 pigs and piglets died and 980 were culled.

In 2024, the first ASF case was reported on February 9 in Leithum village in Champhai district, which shares unfenced borders with Myanmar.

The northeastern state, which shares unfenced borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh, has incurred financial losses of Rs 896.69 crore due to the disease since 2021.

"In view of the death and culling of pigs and piglets due to the ASF outbreak, Mizoram suffered a loss of Rs 334.14 crore in 2021, Rs 210.32 crore in 2022 and Rs 15.77 crore in 2023," an AHVD official told IANS.

The government has provided compensation to several hundred families for the loss of pigs due to the highly communicable disease, she said.

The ASF, which, however, does not affect humans, is a highly infectious disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate.

Reader Comments

R
Rahul P.
This is heartbreaking for the farmers 😢 The financial losses are staggering year after year. The government needs to implement stronger border controls since the disease keeps coming from neighboring countries.
M
Meena K.
While the article is informative, I wish it included more about what preventive measures farmers can take. Are there any vaccines being developed? This seems like an ongoing crisis that needs long-term solutions.
S
Sanjay T.
The numbers are shocking! Nearly Rs 900 crore lost since 2021. Makes me wonder how small-scale pig farmers are surviving this. Hope the compensation reaches everyone affected 🙏
P
Priya L.
At least it doesn't affect humans, but still devastating for the livestock sector. The border situation makes containment so difficult - maybe need better coordination with neighboring countries on animal health issues?
A
Amit S.
The article mentions culling but doesn't explain the process. Is it humane? Are there proper disposal methods to prevent further contamination? These details matter for animal welfare.
N
Neha R.
So sad to hear about this continued outbreak 💔 The economic impact on Mizoram must be enormous. Hope researchers are working on solutions - this can't keep happening every year!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Tags:
African Swine Fever Mizoram Animal Husbandry Pig Mortality Border Regions Veterinary Crisis
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