Source: NIE
Subject: Miscellaneous
Context: Assam has banned inter-district movement of live pigs and prohibited pork sales in seven districts after a sharp spike in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases.
About African Swine Fever:
What it is?
- A highly contagious viral hemorrhagic disease affecting domestic and wild pigs, caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV)—a large double-stranded DNA virus of the Asfarviridae
- It has no impact on humans but is devastating to pig populations with up to 100% mortality.
Vectors & Transmission:
- Soft ticks (Ornithodoros spp.) act as biological vectors, sustaining the virus in nature.
- Transmitted via infected pigs, contaminated clothes, shoes, vehicles, feed waste, bedding, slaughter waste, and unprocessed pork products.
- Virus survives long in the environment and in pork products (ham, sausages, bacon), making human movement and trade major spreaders.
Symptoms:
- Peracute cases: sudden death within 1–3 days, extremely high fever (106–108°F).
- Acute cases: lethargy, anorexia, respiratory distress, blue-purple discoloration of ears/abdomen/legs, bloody froth from nose/mouth, bloody diarrhoea, abortions.
- Mortality rate: 90–100%.
Features of ASF:
- Notifiable disease: must be mandatorily reported.
- Highly stable virus: survives on surfaces, feed, soil, equipment, and meat products.
- Endemic cycle: maintained between wild pigs, warthogs, bushpigs, and ticks.
- First detected in India in Arunachal Pradesh & Assam in 2020.
Treatment / Control:
- No vaccine or cure currently available globally.
- Only method: strict biosecurity, mass culling, movement bans.
- Measures include:
- Quarantine of new pigs (30–45 days)
- Restriction on pig/vehicle movement
- Farm disinfection (2% sodium hypochlorite / potassium permanganate)
- Segregation of healthy and sick animals
