African Swine Fever

African Swine Fever Latest News

Scientists at ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, recently developed India’s first indigenous MA-104_Cell_Line-Based Live Attenuated African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine for pigs.

About African Swine Fever 

• It is a highly contagious viral disease affecting pigs and wild boar.
• It is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a DNA virus from the Asfarviridae family. 
• Characterised by high fever, haemorrhages, and mortality rates that may approach 100 percent, the disease has caused severe socio-economic losses to the global pig farming sector.  
• The disease does not infect humans (not zoonotic) or other livestock species.

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African Swine Fever Global Distribution

• Originally found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, ASF is now prevalent in many countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
• India notified the first outbreak of the ASF virus in January 2020 in the Northeastern States of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Since its first detection in India, ASF has spread to several States and Union Territories. 

African Swine Fever Transmission

• 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. 
• Therefore, human behaviours can play an important role in spreading this disease.
• Infection can occur through direct contact between infected pigs or boars but also, for example, through soft ticks in (sub)tropical regions or through contaminated materials or contaminated feed.

African Swine Fever Symptoms

• The clinical signs of ASF can vary but are similar to some other pig diseases. Signs typically occur 3-15 days after infection.
• The early signs are non-specific and include:
  • High fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite.
  • Pigs may die suddenly without further disease signs.
• At later stages, further signs may be observed including
  • Reddening of the skin (visible only in pale-skinned pigs), with patches appearing on the tips of ears, tail, feet, chest, or under the belly.
  • Diarrhoea, vomiting
  • Laboured breathing
  • Swollen red eyes, eye discharge
  • Abortions, still-births
  • Increasing morbidity and unwillingness to get up
• In severe cases, death can sometimes be the only sign of infection.

African Swine Fever Treatment

Currently, there is no treatment available against ASF, so prevention by adopting strict biosecurity measures, such as culling the animals, is the only way to prevent ASF.

African Swine Fever Prevention

• A couple of commercially licensed ASF vaccines are available in Vietnam.  
• ICAR–National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (ICAR-NIHSAD), Bhopal, recently developed India’s first indigenous MA-104_Cell_Line-Based Live Attenuated ASF vaccine for pigs.

News: PIB