Samples collected on Nov 7, ASF status notified on Nov 27 Keirao notified as ASF epicentre

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Nov 27: Outbreak of the African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in Imphal East district too.
ASF has been confirmed in a pig farm owned by one Salam Hemjit at  Keirao Salam Leikai, Imphal East.
The farm owned by Salam Hemjit at Keirao Salam Leikai has been notified as the epicenter of ASF, the area within 1 Km radius of the farm as infected zone and the areas within 10 Km radius as surveillance zone.
The office of the Deputy Commissioner, Imphal East issued a notification to this effect on November 26.
Subsequently, movement and sale of pork and feed within the infected zone and materials that could have contacted the infected or suspected to be infected have been prohibited.
The same notification said that culling of all pigs of the infected zone shall be done by the officials of Veterinary and Animal Hus- bandry Department.
Recounting how his pigs began showing symptoms of sickness, farm owner Salam Hemjit told The Sangai Express that five piglets were born dead on October 27, after which he immediately contacted the Vete- rinary Department through its emergency helpline number 1962.
He said a team from the Veterinary Department visited his pigsty on October 28 and examined the pigs.
One adult pig died on the same day (October 28), another the following day (October 29), and one more on November 6, he said.
Hemjit further stated that he contacted the Veterinary Department again on November 6 to report the worsening situation.
A veterinary team arrived on November 7 and collected samples from the dead pigs, he said.
While waiting for the test results, more pigs continued to die one after another, Hemjit said and added that 27 pigs have died so far.
To prevent the disease from spreading, he said that he buried all the dead pigs in pits dug six feet deep, adding limestone, bleaching powder, and salt to each grave.
Hemjit said that he remained unaware that his pigs had been confirmed positive for African Swine Fever for a long time because the Veterinary Department never informed him.  
He said that he only learned about the confirmation only when a team contacted him today for disinfection and sanitisation of his pigsties.