Nashik: African Swine Fever, a disease that spreads among pigs but cannot infect humans, has now been detected in the city. The one-km radius area around Pathardi Shivar (Municipal Corporation dumping ground) has been declared an infected zone, and a 10-km radius has been marked as a surveillance zone.
District Collector Ayush Prasad has directed that if any symptoms of this disease or any other infectious disease in pigs are noticed, the Animal Husbandry Department must be informed immediately.
Samples from pigs in the Nashik Municipal Corporation area have tested positive for African Swine Fever. Visible symptoms of the disease have also been observed. This disease is highly contagious and spreads rapidly among pigs.
Since the infection already exists and may spread further, pig farmers, villagers, individuals, NGOs, public institutions, and gram panchayats are mandated to immediately report any suspected cases to the nearest government veterinary hospital.
"This disease is not zoonotic, meaning it does not spread from animals to humans. It spreads only from infected pigs to other pigs. There are currently no pigs within the 1-km affected zone, so there is no need for public fear. The District Animal Husbandry Department is fully capable of handling the situation and all measures are under control," said Dr. Prashant Dharmadhikari, Deputy Commissioner, District Animal Husbandry, Nashik.
