Aizawl/New Delhi: A renewed outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) has claimed the lives of more than 1,050 pigs across three districts in Mizoram—Lawngtlai, Mamit, and Siaha—since it resurfaced last month, officials from the state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department (AHVD) confirmed.
As of now, 34 localities in the affected districts have been officially declared ASF-infected zones.
Control measures are underway, with culling operations leading to the elimination of over 400 pigs and piglets to prevent further spread.
The fresh wave of infections was confirmed on March 20 through testing at the Northeast Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (NERDDL) in Guwahati.
Officials said the initial signs of the outbreak this year were reported from Lawngtlai district, which borders Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Mamit shares boundaries with Tripura and Bangladesh, while Siaha also lies adjacent to Myanmar.
The state government is closely monitoring the situation, ramping up containment measures in a bid to shield unaffected areas.
However, the persistent outbreaks over the past few years have resulted in heavy losses to pig farmers and state-run farms alike.
Since the first major outbreak in March 2021, Mizoram has reported cumulative losses of Rs. 896.69 crore due to ASF.
More than 62,000 pigs have either died or been culled in response to the highly contagious disease.
Last year alone, 15,000 pigs succumbed to the virus and 24,200 were culled, resulting in a loss of Rs. 336.49 crore.
Year-wise data reveals that 33,417 pigs died and 12,568 were culled in 2021, followed by 12,795 deaths and 11,686 culls in 2022.
In 2023, 1,139 pigs died and 980 were culled.
The first confirmed case in 2024 was reported on February 9 from Leithum village in Champhai district, which shares an unfenced international border with Myanmar.
ASF does not pose a risk to humans but is fatal for pigs, with a very high mortality rate.
The state government has extended compensation to hundreds of affected families, though officials remain concerned about the disease’s persistence in the region.
