Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct. 12: An outbreak of Classical Swine Fever (CSF) has been confirmed in Car Nicobar of the Nicobar district, with pig deaths also being reported from parts of SVPMC. Pigs are the mainstay of the tribal community in these islands and serve as a vital means of livelihood for farmers in N&M Andaman and South Andaman. The loss of livestock has a huge impact on community traditions as well as the economic status of poor and marginal farmers.
Since the confirmation of the disease in the first week of October, the department has taken proactive steps to control and contain its spread, primarily through the implementation of biosecurity measures, regarding which an advisory has been issued. All pig owners and farmers are urged to remain vigilant and adopt strict biosecurity measures at their pig-rearing premises. Any suspected case of Classical Swine Fever must be reported immediately to the nearest veterinary institution.
Hence, all pig owners, farmers, traders, transporters, and other stakeholders are informed that no transportation of live pigs, pork, or pork by-products (including frozen meat) shall be allowed from one place to another until further orders.
There is no specific treatment for the disease, and vaccination is the only method of prevention. A senior-level officer from the Government of India visited the islands following reports of the outbreak, and after assessing the situation, recommended the immediate vaccination of the surviving population. The GoI arranged an emergency consignment of 20,000 vaccine doses under the National Animal Disease Control Programme, which was received on October 12.
The Department has prepared an action plan to vaccinate the susceptible population of the South Andaman and Nicobar districts. The vaccines will be distributed to all institutions in the South Andaman and Nicobar districts. The Department launched the vaccination campaign from VH Junglighat and VH Garacharma in the Municipal Wards and villages of Garacharma on October 12. The Department has started the CSF vaccination campaign from a piggery farm in the Sippighat area of Prothrapur Tehsil.
The details of the vaccination campaign will be uploaded to the Bharat Pashudhan portal under the National Digital Livestock Mission of the GoI.