African swine fever outbreak

GS PAPER II: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

Context: The worst of Nagaland’s African swine fever outbreak may be over, say officials.

Background:

• Nagaland’s animal husbandry and veterinary services department informed on April 5, 2021 that they have observed “unusual mortality” among pigs in Mon, Kiphire and Phek districts.
• Almost a fortnight later, the department officially declared the outbreak and issued advisories.
• Areas within a radius of one kilometre from the ‘epicentre’ at Phek and Kiphire were demarcated as ‘infected zone’ and places within a 10 km radius as ‘surveillance zone’.
• Pig farmers were advised to refrain from importing live pigs for meat and piglets for breeding purpose from outside the state without knowing their health status.
• Every resident was directed to report usual deaths of pigs to the nearest veterinary health centres immediately.
• Nagaland had banned import of pigs on April 28, 2020.

How did it spread?

• ASF is an imported disease, that affected both cross-breeds and indigenous breeds.

https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/wildlife-biodiversity/the-worst-of-nagaland-s-african-swine-fever-outbreak-may-be-over-say-officials-77646