African Swine Fever kills wild boars in Mizoram's Kolasib

Aizawl, Sept 30 (PTI) Wild boars died in Mizoram's Kolasib district due to African Swine Fever (ASF), an official said on Tuesday.

Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Department's Deputy Director Esther Lalzoliani said the highly decomposed carcasses of wild boar were spotted by locals in the jungle near Saipum village earlier this month.

Locals then informed the department, which sent a team to the village to collect samples, she said.

"The bone marrow of the wild boars was tested by the department, and they were found to be positive for ASF. The bone marrow samples were also sent to the College of Veterinary Sciences & Animal Husbandry in Selesih, which also confirmed that the wild boars died due to ASF," Esther told PTI.

Locals said the carcasses were found on September 7 and September 18.

Lalnunsanga Pulamte, president of Saipum village council-I, said they have prohibited hunting wild animals and bringing the remains to the village.

Kolasib's Deputy Commissioner Robert C Lalhmangaiha on Monday issued an order, prohibiting hunting and selling of fresh meat or dry meat of any wild animals in the district following the death of the boars in Saipum.

In July 2022, carcasses of wild boar were also found in a jungle in Champhai district in the eastern part of the state, bordering Myanmar, and subsequent laboratory tests revealed that they died of ASF.

The outbreak of ASF was first reported in Lungsen village in south Mizoram's Lunglei district near the Bangladesh border in March 2021.

Since then, 71,679 pigs have died due to the swine fever, and 52,865 others have been culled to prevent further spread of the disease, according to government data.

In the current year, 9,378 pigs have been killed and 3,454 others culled in 162 villages in eight districts so far. PTI CORR SOM