Aizawl: As many as 501 pigs in Mizoram have fallen prey to swine fever and the monetary losses have been estimated at Rs 25 lakh, veterinary officials said on Tuesday. However, the officials assured that there was no reason to panic as swine fever cannot be contracted by human beings, unlike swine flu. ''The disease that killed 501 pigs in Mizoram is not swine flu but swine fever, which does not pass on to humans,'' veterinary and animal husbandry minister NK Chakma said. Headed by the minister, top officials of the department held a special meeting on swine fever that chalked out action to be taken to control the disease. The meeting informed that swine fever has killed pigs in Kolasib (bordering Assam), Saiha (bordering Bangladesh and Myanmar and Lunglei (bordering Myanmar) districts. Veterinary officials pointed out that swine fever was an endemic disease in Mizoram and the present outbreak was due to heavy influx of pigs from Myanmar. Two serum samples from Jalgaon's Dahivad village had been sent on Saturday to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Izatnagar. Preliminary tests indicated swine fever, Mr Zagade said. The meeting also suggested restriction of import of pigs from the neighbouring country. (UNI)