A viral disease among pigs at Nandurbar in Maharashtra has alarmed the Tapi district, which shares a border with Nandurbar. The government authorities have initiated surveillance measures in border villages to monitor the health of pigs and detect any signs of infection.
Officials from the animal husbandry department in Nandurbar revealed that an outbreak of African swine fever, a highly contagious viral disease affecting pigs, led to the deaths of 22 pigs and the infection of 26 others in Mhasavad village over Thursday and Friday.
On Friday and Saturday, teams from the animal husbandry department visited villages in Uchhal, Nizar, and Kukarmunda talukas in Tapi district, which borders Nandurbar, to assess the situation firsthand.
Dr. R. S. Gavit, the Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry in Tapi, stated, “We have heightened surveillance efforts in the bordering villages. As of now, no similar deaths have been reported here. Our surveillance teams are actively monitoring the situation, and we anticipate having a clearer understanding in the coming days.”
Dr Umesh Patil, the Deputy Commissioner of Animal Husbandry in Nandurbar, confirmed the situation, stating, “Since the first week of February, Mhasavad village has witnessed 22 pig deaths, attributed to African swine fever. On February 14, it was confirmed that these deaths were indeed due to the fever.
Subsequently, 26 pigs belonging to 11 families in Mhasavad were culled.” He added that surveillance teams had been deployed in neighbouring villages within a 10-kilometre radius to prevent the spread of the disease.
