Swine fever: V&AH on alert mode in Moreh, Manipur

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Imphal, April 28 2009: With the contagious 'Swine Fever' disease posing great danger of spreading to other parts of the world from its place of origin Mexico, the State Government has cranked up its machinery to prevent disastrous consequences.

With the first 'swine fever' outbreak reported in Mexico where the disease has so far claimed 103 lives and infected over 1000 people including 40 in the neighbouring United States, case experts had been cautioning that the densely populated Asia would be the disease hot-spot in case the disease spreads to any of the oriental country.

Consequently the State's Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Department has swung into action for preventing import of live pigs and pork meat through the Indo-myanmar border in Moreh town.

Talking to the Sangai Express today regarding preventive measures taken up by the V&AH Department, its Director Dr Thingbaijam Jiban said owing to Moreh being the corridor to the East Asian countries emphasis is on checking import of pigs through the border town.

he, however, assuaged that not a single case of the disease has been reported from anywhere in the State so far.

As further preventive measures department officials and personnel would be directed to maintain vigil in border areas such as Kamjong and Poi in Ukhrul district, and Behiang in Churachandpur district which also share border with the neighbouring Myanmar, he said while calling upon the police and general public to cooperate in the pre-emptive exercise.

Conceding that Central authorities have not yet issued preventive steps on the relatively new disease, the Director nevertheless asserted that on behalf of the State Government the V&AH Department would initiate all possible measures to ensure 'swine fever' do not spread here.

It is worth noting here that a census report published in 2003 had put the swine population in the State to about 4 lakhs.

Elucidating on the swine fever, Dr K Gopal who is the Department's Nodal Officer on bird flu (avian influenza) said the recently discovered disease (swine fever) is caused by the H1N1 virus type through the mutation of flu that infects swine, human as well as avian population.

On measures against infection from the swine fever, Dr Gopal suggested thorough washing of hands with soaps after attending to the livestock kept in pig pens or contacting domesticated pigs.

The best way to check spread of the disease is to isolate the infected individual, if any, and seek immediate medical attention, he added and strongly recommended use of protective apparatus to avoid contact of animal (pig) rearers to the nose, eye or mouth.

Another source in the V&AH Dept disclosed that inspite of preventive measures by the Dept to prevent Food and Mouth disease which was reported in a few place of manipur in Nov last year, smuggling of cows and buffaloes were reported from the border areas of Chandel district thereby exposing the people to risk.

Further revealing that random checks of cattle population in Chandel district suspected to have been smuggled in in defiance of the Department's instruction had shown signs of the food and mouth disease, the source desired that alarm on possible disease outbreak raised by the Department needs to be responded in the positive manner by all concerned.

Source: The Sangai Express