Animal husbandry and veterinary department (AH&VD) secretary of Arunachal Pradesh Minum Tayeng said African swine fever (ASF) surfaced in India first in a few districts of the state in April and Bhopal-based National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) after tests zeroed down to East Siang and Papum Pare districts as the hotspots.

She also voiced concern over outbreak of the disease in Arunachal Pradesh.

She informed on Sunday that samples collected from 10 districts were sent for tests on April 29 and reports were received on May 1. She issued an advisory on May 2 banning consumption of pork in the state.

It was followed by an advisory issued by the chief secretary banning inter-district transportation of pigs and ordering confinement of all domesticated ones based on a cabinet decision.

“Precautionary steps are only possibility to prevent spread of the highly-contagious haemorrhagic viral disease which infects domestic and wild pigs and there is no vaccine or medicine for treatment so far,” she said, adding the department doctors had been spreading mass awareness and resorting to sensitisation of hotspot areas by following guidelines of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

“A process is on to collect data on area-wise death for notifying contaminated areas and specify hotspots in green, orange and red zones,” she added.

Asked if the ASF emerged from a village in Xizang province of China bordering Arunachal Pradesh in April, she denied any knowledge saying she is concerned about the spread of ASF in Arunachal.

However, a team of senior AH&VD doctors led by joint director Dr Techi Taku early on Sunday morning launched awareness and sanitisation campaign in various hotspot areas of Naharlgun. Nearby Nirjuli in Papum Pare district, Pasight, Bilat and Mebo in East Siang district have been identified as epicentres, he disclosed.

Moreover, a team of doctors has been collecting samples from infected pigs for further tests.