African Swine Fever

An outbreak of African Swine Fever (highly contagious swine disease) was reported at a private farm at Madakkathara panchayat in Thrissur district of Kerala.

Precautionary Measures being Taken For African Swine Fever

• Culling: The district animal husbandry officer has been ordered  to cull these 310 pigs and bury them which will be conducted by a team of doctors, livestock inspectors and attendants.
• Marked Disease Surveillance Area: The area within a 1-km radius of the affected farm has been declared a disease-affected area, and the area within a 10-km radius has been declared a disease surveillance area.
• Prohibition: The transportation of pork from the affected areas, the operation of such farms, and the movement of pigs, pork, and feed from the affected areas to other parts of the district have been prohibited until further orders.
• Tracing movement: The Animal Husbandry department will investigate the transportation of pigs from the affected farm to other farms in the last two months.
  • There will be strict checks at checkposts and other entry points in Thrissur district to prevent the illegal transportation of pigs and pork from Thrissur or other areas.

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About African Swine Fever

• It is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs with devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy.
• Mortality Rate: It can reach to about 100%.  
• Resistance: The virus is highly resistant in the environment, meaning that it can survive on clothes, boots, wheels, and other materials. It can also survive in various pork products, such as ham, sausages or bacon. 
  • Spread: Although the virus does not infect humans, they can unwittingly be a carrier of the virus across borders if adequate measures are not taken.
• Hotspots of the disease: African Swine Fever traditionally occured mainly in Africa with the only endemic area in the European Union (EU) being the Italian island of Sardinia.
  • However since 2017 the disease has also been reported in Central and Eastern Europe.
• Transmission: African Swine Fever can be spread through:
  • Direct contact with infected pigs, faeces or body fluids
  • Indirect contact via fomites such as equipment, vehicles or people who work with pigs between pig farms with ineffective biosecurity
  • Pigs eating infected pig meat or meat products
  • Biological vectors: It is spread by the ticks of the species Ornithodoros. 
• Symptoms: High fever; Decreased appetite and weakness; Red, blotchy skin or skin lesions; Diarrhea, vomiting, or both; Coughing and difficulty breathing; Abortions or sudden death
• Treatment: There is no treatment or vaccine so the best way to protect pigs is by prevention.
• Impact: 
  • Food security: Pork meat is one of the primary sources of animal proteins, accounting for more than 35% of the global meat intake and cause serious problem for food security worldwide. 
  • Biodiversity: This disease affects not only domestic farmed pigs, but also wild boars, including native breeds thus is a concern for biodiversity and the balance of ecosystems.