More than 14,000 pigs culled as India’s African swine fever dated back to January
African swine fever has been present in north east India at least since January, according to global animal health body, OIE.
The Asian media is now reporting that 14,000 pigs have been culled in one of the two infected states, Assam, alone, with claims the virus might have reached India via a river from China.
The OIE’s official notifications shows a total of 11 outbreaks so far across two states, with 4,199 confirmed cases and 3,701 deaths in pigs, with another 10,920 ‘susceptible’ animals on the affected premises.
The first media reports of outbreaks in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh emerged earlier this month. But the OIE report dates the first three outbreaks in Arunachal Pradesh to January 26. The start dates for the other outbreaks span February, March and April.
It says the origin of the outbreak is ‘unknown or inconclusive’, but the virus is believed to have spread from thousands of carcasses that floated down the tributaries of a river originating in China, according to reports.
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