The presence of the deadly African Swine Fever (ASF) has been confirmed in Chhattisgarh. At a pig farm located in Naradha-Mudpar village of Durg district, more than 300 pigs died due to this virus. To prevent the spread of the infection, the Animal Husbandry Department administered lethal injections to the remaining approximately 150 pigs as well and all were subsequently buried in accordance with established protocols. The farm owner has incurred a financial loss of over one crore due to this viral outbreak. As per information a team from the Animal Husbandry Department arrived at Mudpar village on Monday. Officials and veterinarians, clad in PPE kits, entered the farm premises and euthanized the surviving pigs via injection. Subsequently, a pit was dug behind the farm, and all the deceased pigs were buried there. Currently, preparations are underway to seal the entire farm. It is worth mentioning that Mudpar village is a major hub for pig farming. Pig rearing had been conducted here on a large scale for a considerable period.

 

Pork from this farm was supplied not only to the Durg-Bhilai region but also to various other parts of the state and neighboring states. The farm owner, PO Joy, stated that his farm house was having 300 to 400 pigs. Samples were first collected on March 29, while the deaths of the pigs began on April 1. By April 6, approximately 300 pigs had already perished, and the remaining ones were subsequently discarded by the department. He further explained that the value of a single pig was approximately Rs 30,000, resulting in a massive financial loss for him. However, it spreads exclusively among pigs and does not affect humans or other animals. Wasim Shams, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department, confirmed that immediately upon receiving the information on April 2, samples were dispatched to the High-Security Animal Diseases Laboratory located in Bhopal. The test results returned positive on Monday morning, around 10:00 AM. Following this, a departmental team promptly arrived at the site and initiated necessary measures. Currently, the entire area is under close surveillance, and steps are being taken to seal the farm in order to prevent the infection from spreading any further.