Dimapur, June 25: African Swine Fever (ASF) has spread to Dimapur, with the district administration declaring Thahekhu Block-7 an infected zone following laboratory confirmation of the highly contagious disease in pigs, raising fresh concerns over a wider outbreak across Nagaland.
In an order issued on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner Dr Tinojongshi Chang said the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Dimapur, had confirmed ASF cases in pigs at Thahekhu Block-7. The disease, which affects domestic and wild pigs, carries a mortality rate of nearly 100 per cent and has no vaccine or cure, although it poses no threat to human health.
The administration has imposed an immediate ban on the movement of pigs, piglets, pork, pork products, feed, equipment and other potentially contaminated materials into and out of the affected area.
The CVO has been directed to undertake surveillance, sample collection, disinfection and culling wherever necessary in accordance with Government of India guidelines, while police and other authorities have been tasked with enforcing containment measures.
The latest outbreak comes barely a week after ASF was detected at T. Khel Model Village in Khikha Colony, Kohima, on June 19. Authorities there had declared a one-kilometre infected zone and a 10-kilometre surveillance zone, besides shutting pork markets and restricting the movement of live pigs and pork products.
The back-to-back outbreaks in Nagaland’s two major urban centres have reignited fears among farmers and traders, with many worried that the disease could spread to other districts and trigger another devastating wave of livestock losses.
For thousands of families in Nagaland, pig farming is a crucial economic lifeline, often serving as household savings, a source of funds for education and medical emergencies, and a key contributor to rural incomes.
With ASF now confirmed in both Kohima and Dimapur, concerns are mounting over the state’s preparedness to contain the disease before it spreads further.
The district administration has appealed to pig farmers, traders and transporters to cooperate with veterinary officials, immediately report unusual pig deaths and strengthen biosecurity measures to prevent further transmission of the disease.
