KOHIMA, July 4: An outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in Nagaland’s Longleng district, prompting authorities to declare containment zones to prevent further spread. Deputy Commissioner W. Manpai Phom on Thursday officially designated Pongching and Hamlikhong villages as ASF-infected areas following detection of the virus.
In response, a one-kilometre radius around the infected villages has been declared as the infected zone, while an additional 10-kilometre radius has been marked as the surveillance zone. These zones are aimed at controlling the highly contagious viral disease that poses a serious threat to the pig population.
To curb the spread, the district administration has imposed strict restrictions including a ban on the slaughter, import, export, and transportation of pigs and pork products within the affected areas. Additionally, disposal of animal carcasses in unauthorized areas, including the Longleng municipal dumping site, has been strictly prohibited by Longleng Additional Deputy Commissioner Alongdhimen Jamir.
ASF, a hemorrhagic disease affecting domestic pigs, is caused by a large double-stranded DNA virus from the Asfarviridae family. It has an extremely high mortality rate, with some strains capable of killing infected pigs within a week.
The current outbreak marks a concerning recurrence of the disease in the Northeast, where India first reported ASF cases in 2020. Authorities have also confirmed ASF detections in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, prompting coordinated efforts to contain its spread across the region.
Experts believe the porous international borders shared by the Northeast with China, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar contribute to the frequent introduction of livestock diseases, including ASF. Authorities have urged pig farmers and traders to comply with biosecurity measures and report any unusual deaths among livestock.
