India's Mizoram state will declare an outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF), state Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Dr. K Beichhua has revealed.
Talking to the Indian news agency PTI, the minister said that State Chief Zoramthanga has given the nod to declare the outbreak as a "state disaster".
An official notification will be out in a day tor two, Beichhua added.
In the past year, the state government has culled at least 37,000 pigs, causing financial losses to the tune of INR 7 billion ($9.02 million) African Swine Flu was first detected in the country in May 2020 in two states: Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
Simultaneously, it spread to the neighbouring stated of Mizoram and now Tripura.
The flu is a deadly, highly contagious viral disease with a mortality rate of 100 percent. So far, no vaccine or medicine has been made available to prevent the flu.
People in Mizoram are known for their cuisine, rich in pork, chicken, and beef; smoked meat is a regional specialtiy.
Dr. Lalhmingthanga, Joint Director at the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Science Department, said the first death of a pig was reported on 21 March at Lungsen Village in south Mizoram's Lunglei District, which borders Bangladesh.
A month later, the disease spread to all 11 districts of the state.
Meanwhile, there were also reports of an African Swine Flu outbreak in some parts of Nagaland earlier this year.
In the last two years, outbreaks were also seen in Assam (where 38,700 pigs died over 18 months), Meghalaya (where 300 pigs died) and across districts of Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura.