Swine Flu Outbreak in Sivasagar; Pork Trade, Transport Banned

Amid the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Assam’s Sivasagar district, the administration has imposed a complete restriction on pork trade, transport and other activities within the district.

This comes after a few areas of Sivasagar were declared as ‘epicentres’ of African swine flu. According to official reports, the areas including Ekarani Grant and Bor Deodhai Japisajia, both under the jurisdiction of Demow Circle have seen an outbreak of the disease. 

In a decisive move to curb the spread of swine fever, the District Commissioner (DC) of Sivasagar, Aayush Garg, has issued a prohibitory order across the district. The measures come in response to the identification of affected zones, with villages within a 1 km radius of the epicentre designated as "Infected Zones" and those within a 10 km radius as "Surveillance Zones."

The district administration has imposed strict restrictions, including a ban on the transportation of live pigs, pig products, and pork meat within the district. The sale of pork and related products, as well as the slaughter, purchase, or sale of pigs, has been completely prohibited. Farmers and breeders have been instructed to implement stringent bio-security measures to prevent the spread of the disease to new areas.

Any deaths among pigs must be promptly reported to the Veterinary Department, with carcasses being disposed of by bio-security protocols. Additionally, the transportation of pig feed will require prior approval from the Veterinary Department.