African Swine Fever hits Punjab's Mansa, pigs culled

Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 7 : African Swine Fever (ASF) virus was detected in some samples from Talwandi Aklia village in Punjab's Mansa district, following which the area has been declared as an infected zone for the prevention of the contagious disease that affects the pigs.
"After confirmation from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) -National High-Security Animal Disease Institute, Bhopal, the Animal Husbandry department has strictly enforced restrictions and declared 0 to 1-kilometer area of the epicenter as "infected zone" and 1 to 10 KM (9 KM) area as "surveillance zone" to prevent the disease in the district," said Laljit Singh Bhullar, Punjab's minister of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairy Development.
According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, ASF is a highly transmittable viral disease that affects domestic as well as wild pigs and has a 100 percent mortality rate. The virus has a high resistance to the environment which allows it to survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other material. Human behavior also plays an important role in the propagation of disease.
The Punjab administration is thus ensuring that the fatal viral disease doesn't spread out further.
"The departmental officials have also been instructed to ensure that no live or dead pig, including feral or wild, unprocessed pig meat, feed, or any material or goods from the piggery farms or backyard piggery shall be taken out of or brought into the infected zone," Bhullar said.
The ministry has also ordered that no person should bring or attempt to bring into the market any pig or pig products, which are known to be infected with the African swine fever.
Earlier, the viral disease was detected in the Golaghat district of Assam and Wayanad in Kerala. Approx 43 pigs died in Kerala and few showed signs of illness. The disease, generally, causes devastating effects on the pig population.
Amids fears of the disease, authorities in Punjab have neutralised as many as 735 swines in the affected districts, like Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, SBS Nagar and Fazilka.
However, the government said it has ensured that those involved in pig farming should not suffer losses due to these cullings. Compensation will be given for the culling done by the department within the "infected zone" of one km radius of the epicenter notified by the department.
"Compensation for the culling of a piglet weighing up to 15 kg is Rs.2200. If the culled animal weighs between 15 kg and 40 kg, the compensation will be Rs 5800," Bhullar said.
Pigs above 40 kg but below 70 kg will carry a compensation of Rs 8400 each. Depending on the weight, the rate further increases upto Rs 15000, the official said.
Urging the pig farmers to cooperate in the culling of their swine, the department said that there will be no compensation if the affected pig dies on its own.
As per the data from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, India's pig farming sector is highly unorganized. 70 percent of the pig population is reared under the traditional smallholder and low-input demand-driven production system except for the limited number of semi-commercial pig farms in Kerala, Punjab and Goa.