Following Mizoram, African Swine Fever (ASF) cases have been discovered in Tripura’s Animal Resources Development Department (ARDD)-run government breeding farm in Devipur, Sepahijala district. According to top department sources, to deal with the crisis, a team of professionals from Agartala’s disease investigation centre arrived at the farm and organised quick reaction teams.
A senior official in the Animal Husbandry Department-run disease investigation laboratory said, ‘On April 7, three samples were sent to North Eastern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. On April 13, last we received the PCR report that confirmed that all the samples were positive. Even the symptoms of the pigs now sheltered on the farm also indicate that the contagious disease has already entered the farm. Another report that was supposed to come from Bhopal’s National Disease Diagnostic institute is yet to reach Tripura’.
As per sources, the farmworkers have been told to deal with the ailment first. ‘We have formed two task forces comprising ten people in each of the groups. The teams will be led by a veterinary officer and they will directly report to the panel of nodal officers. In charge of ARDD’s Disease Investigation laboratory, Dr Mrinal Dutta and SDM Bishalgarh have been included in the team of nodal officers’, it added.
After mass execution, 8-feet-by-8-feet graves were dug out to bury the diseased pigs in the first phase. Furthermore, all of the pigs are raised on a private basis.
‘Initially pigs available within the one-kilometre radius of the farm will be executed and buried to contain the spread of the disease. We are trying to confine the disease within the farm and its peripheries so that the virus does not spread across the state’, said the sources.
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When questioned about formal confirmation, sources claimed that the laboratory officials would write a letter to the Government of India, and the Centre would inform the Chief Secretary of the situation.’All the further proceedings can only be carried out once the official letter reaches the state government’.
Officials stated that a total of 63 adult pigs died of unclear causes, causing concern. There were 265 older pigs and 185 piglets in the farm’s pig shed before the outbreak.
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