Punjab: African Swine Fever Cases Detected In Ajnala

Several cases of African Swine fever have been detected in Ajnala, an offical said on Thursday.

According to officials, African Swine Fever (ASF) is not a flu but a viral disease that exclusively affects swine.

“It is not flu. It is African Swine Fever, and it infects swine only. Some swine died at a farm. We conducted tests, and some of them were positive. To keep it from spreading, the swine are killed and the farm is sanitised. This disease does not spread to other animals or humans,” Assistant Deputy Director (Animal Husbandry), Ravinder Singh Kang told ANI.

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%. It is not a danger to human health, but it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy.

The Punjab Government has launched an extensive fogging campaign in Ajnala and other flood-affected areas to curb the spread of dengue, malaria, and other vector-borne diseases. The initiative aims to protect public health in the wake of recent flooding, which has heightened the risk of disease outbreaks.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that he would hold a review meeting on Friday to assess the flood situation in the state after heavy rains.

In a post on X, CM Mann wrote that discussions would focus on the medical facilities being provided to residents, compensation measures, and concrete steps to manage and mitigate the impact of the floods.

Following heavy monsoon rains that triggered floods across several districts of Punjab, doctors and healthcare staff from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, carried out a four-day relief mission from September 6 to 9, providing life-saving medical aid to thousands of affected people.

The team covered multiple districts, reaching remote and waterlogged villages where no prior medical camps had arrived. (ANI)