Assam authorities cull 55 pigs following swine fever outbreak

Guwahati: Veterinary officials culled 55 pigs in Assam’s Nagaon district on Saturday. The move followed a confirmed outbreak of African Swine Fever at a private farm in Halowa village.

The virus kills fast. Authorities acted quickly to stop the spread. Arbind Saikia owned the affected farm in Puranigudam, where inspectors found the highly contagious disease.

Nagaon Deputy Commissioner Debashish Sarma invoked Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to lock down the area. He declared a one-kilometre radius around Halowa village as an infected zone. Officials also marked a 10-kilometre radius as a surveillance zone.

New orders ban all movement, sale, and transport of pigs or pork products in the surveillance area until further notice. State officials stated that "African Swine Fever is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs."

The virus does not infect humans. Even so, it hits farmers hard through high animal mortality rates and mandatory culling. District officials warned local farmers to watch their herds closely and report any sickness or deaths immediately.