Ajnala (Punjab): Several cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) have been reported in Ajnala, an official confirmed on Thursday. ASF is a viral disease that targets only pigs and is not a form of flu, according to the authorities.

“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.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) describes ASF as a highly contagious viral disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs, with mortality rates reaching up to 100%. While it poses no threat to human health, the disease can cause severe damage to pig populations and farming livelihoods.

In a separate public health effort, the Punjab Government has initiated a thorough fogging operation in Ajnala and other flood-hit areas. The campaign seeks to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria, especially after recent flooding raised concerns about 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