13,000 pigs killed by African Swine Fever in Assam: Animal Husbandry Minister

While the country is battling with COVID-19, deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) has killed around 13,000 pigs in Assam, informed Atul Bora, Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary.

While the country is battling with COVID-19, deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) has killed around 13,000 pigs in Assam, informed Atul Bora, Minister of mal Husbandry and Veterinary.

The Minister visited the Kaziranga National Park to review the preventive measures taken by its authorities to safeguard the wild boars (wild swine) from getting infected by the disease which has caused havoc in the state.

"Today we discussed the outbreak of African Swine Fever. We had a long discussion with the district administration, veterinarians and the Kaziranga National Park authorities. Around 13,000 deaths have been reported so far from the state," Bora said.

"Kaziranga National Park authorities have dug a canal in Agoratoli range to prevent wild boars from going to nearby villages, in order to save them from the disease," he added.

Earlier this month Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Bora had visited the Regional Institute of Livestock Entrepreneurship Management (RILEM) and ICAR-National Research Centre on Pig in R here amid the outbreak of ASF in pigs of the state.

Bora had then said that ASF was last reported in China in 2019 and in 2020, "It started in Arunachal in January, and in Assam in February."

( With inputs from ANI )