Animal husbandry and veterinary director L B Sailo said pig-owners voluntarily culled the affected animals after veterinary doctors warned them that the disease might spread. Sailo said another 58 pigs were culled in a government-owned farm at the Selesih village near Aizawl after they were found to be infected with PRRS.
The affected animals included those that had been distributed by the state government to beneficiaries under the New Land Use Policy (NLUP) "At least 100 pigs reared under the NLUP were reported to have been affected and culled," the official said. The government may provide further assistance to the beneficiaries.
Sailo said on the Centre's instructions, officials are running tests on at least two per cent of the total population of pigs in the state to estimate the spread of the disease. The state veterinary department has been taking bio-security measures and also sealed the Mizoram-Myanmar border.