African Swine Fever: What You Need To Know

African swine fever is again in the news after being reported in the Wayanad district of Kerala. A laboratory in Bhopal has confirmed the case following the deaths of five pigs at a farm in Thavinjal, Kaniyaram, Wayanad.

The Animal Welfare Department took the samples from a farm and has also spoken about the measures to prevent the spread of this viral infection, which is commonly found in domestic and wild pigs. Last week, cases of African swine flu were discovered in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam.

African Swine Fever In Assam

On 3 May 2020, the Assam government reported the first case of African Swine Flu in the state which has killed around 2500 pigs in 306 villages. The central government has also said that this is the first instance of the disease in India and the government has already started taking strict measures to contain the spread of the infection.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), African swine fever is a disease that affects only pigs and not humans. Take a look at its details.

What Is African Swine Fever?

African swine fever or African swine flu (ASF) is a severe viral disease found in both domestic and wild pigs. It is named so because the disease is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. The signs of ASF are quite similar to classical swine fever and can be differentiated only through laboratory diagnosis. ASF can cause serious economic losses in countries where it commonly spreads.

The ASF affects healthy pigs when they come in contact with infected wild pigs or wild boars. It is introduced in the herd when a pig ingests contaminated, raw or undercooked pork products from infected animals. It then spreads between pigs when they come in direct contact with infected animals' bodily fluids (blood, faeces, urine, nasal fluid) or with contaminated objects or fomites such as footwear or clothing.

The other way is vector transmission in which blood-sucking ticks or flies ingest blood from the contaminated pigs and spread it to other pigs. The primary mode of the spread of the disease among pigs is the movement of infected animals, leftover organs of contaminated pigs and illegal disposal of animal dead bodies.

Symptoms Of African Swine Fever

ASF causes severe illnesses and a large number of deaths in pigs. The disease is very contagious and it affects almost all the pigs in the herd. Symptoms include:

• High fever
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Redness on the skin
• Black lesions on the skin (especially on tails, ears and legs)
• Coughing
• Nasal discharge
• Abortion
• Shortness of breath
• Diarrhoea

When ASF affects pigs, it starts showing symptoms in 3-4 days and causes deaths in 7-10 days. Herds of pigs which are newly exposed to the virus get killed at a faster rate. Even if some pigs recover, they carry the virus in their system for several months.

Treatment And Prevention Of African Swine Fever

There's no vaccine developed yet to treat ASF in pigs. However, there are certain preventive measures by which its spread can be contained. :

• Prevent feeding raw, undercooked or waste pork products to other pigs.
• Limit their movement to avoid contact with wild hogs or wild pigs.
• Daily monitor the health of pigs and look for any signs of illnesses. Isolate pigs who saw any of the aforementioned symptoms.
• Take control measures to prevent insects, flies or any vector movement in the area where pigs live.
• Proper disposal of waste pork products under guidelines.
• If ASF is found, sanitary measures should be taken to control the movement of pigs across places.
• Cleaning and disinfecting measures of the farm should also be taken.
• Proper coordination with wildlife and forestry authorities to control the movement of wild boar.
• Measures for early detection of the disease and fast available veterinary services in the area.
• Prevent illegal transportation of pigs or pork products from countries where the disease is prevalent.

Why It Is A Concern

When a large herd of pigs die, it causes an economic downfall for livestock producers and related communities. As there is no vaccine developed yet to prevent ASF, a proper control measure is the only way to prevent it.