Northeast India Declares Multiple African Swine Fever Epicentres as Movement Bans Take Effect

Overview

• As of Wednesday, June 3, officials confirmed multiple African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks across Assam and Meghalaya, with Assam reporting a new epicentre at Champara in Lakhimpur and several blocks in Meghalaya testing positive.
• State and district authorities have used the Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009 to declare 1 km infected zones and 10 km surveillance zones and to ban movement of live pigs, pig feed, pork and related products in those areas.
• Local administrations have closed pig markets, slaughterhouses and abattoirs in affected zones and imposed strict controls on animal gatherings to prevent local and cross‑border spread.
• District advisories require farm biosecurity measures such as disinfectant foot dips, dedicated farm clothing and footwear, visitor limits, daily disinfection, a ban on swill feeding, and mandated carcass disposal by deep burial with lime or incineration.
• Veterinary teams are intensifying testing, sample collection and wild boar monitoring while neighbouring districts like Arunachal’s Longding have imposed a one‑month ban on pig and pork trade to protect local herds and livelihoods because ASF can cause near‑total pig mortality.