Assam Bans Inter-District Movement Of Live Pigs Amid African Swine Fever Outbreak - Northeast Today

Guwahati, Nov 17: The Assam government has banned the inter-district movement of live pigs across the state following a sharp rise in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases, officials said on Sunday. An order issued by the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department also prohibits the sale of pork in seven districts reporting a high concentration of ASF cases: Dhemaji, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Sivasagar, Darrang, Jorhat, and Dibrugarh. The department highlighted that ASF, which has a 100 percent mortality rate among pigs, has severely affected Assam’s piggery sector. Since January, 297 ASF epicentres have been reported across the state, including 84 cases identified in October alone. Citing provisions of the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009, the department stated that the ban on inter-district movement of live pigs is effective immediately and will remain in place until further notice to prevent further spread of the disease.