Shillong: African Swine Fever is hammering Meghalaya. A new study in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology tracked 115 outbreaks between July 2020 and April 2025. These events hit 1,603 animals across seven districts. The total direct financial damage reached Rs 2.74 crore. Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills took the hardest hits.
Meghalaya imports pigs to meet demand. Animals flow in from Assam, Haryana, Punjab, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Mizoram. NH-6 serves as a primary artery for this livestock traffic. Researchers suggest the movement of people, vehicles, and animals aids the virus. While scientists cannot definitively link imports to the initial outbreaks, they warn that current monitoring gaps invite disaster. A pig often moves through multiple points before reaching a farm or market. Infected cargo slips through easily.
The disease does not kill people. "African Swine Fever does not spread to humans, so there is no direct health threat to people from eating pork because of ASF." The real danger is the economy. Local farmers lose their primary income when herds die off. Supply shortages ripple through the entire region.
Researchers are demanding action. They want better surveillance and strict testing at state entry points. Better quarantine and biosecurity measures are required immediately. Authorities must track where pigs originate and how transport vehicles are cleaned. The state cannot stop the trade, but it must make the roads a better line of defense.
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