What is African Swine Fever (ASF)?

Table of Contents☰

About African Swine Fever (ASF):

ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%.
The ASF virus is a large, enveloped, double-stranded DNA virus that is the sole member of the genus Asfivirus within the family Asfarviridae.
Symptoms: The clinical symptoms can look very much like those of classical swine fever: fever, weak pigs, lack of appetite, inflamed eye mucous membranes, red skin, (bloody) diarrhea, and vomiting.
ASF can be spread through:
- Direct contact with infected animals
- Indirect contact through the ingestion of products from infected animals, contact with contaminated clothing, vehicles, or equipment
- Bites by infectious soft ticks (where present)
The ASF virus is able to survive for long periods in pork and pork meat products.
It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa but has spread to many other regions of the world, including Asia and Europe.
In India, it was first confirmed in Arunachal Pradesh and Assamin February-March 2020.
It is not a danger to human health. Meat or other products from pigs do not pose any food safety risks for humans. But it has devastating effects on pig populations and the farming economy.
There is no cure or precaution available for the infection, and there is no approved vaccine. So, the only way to stop it from spreading is by culling the animals.

Q1: What is a Virus?

A virus is an infectious microbe consisting of a segment of nucleic acid (either DNA or RNA) surrounded by a protein coat. A virus cannot replicate alone; instead, it must infect cells and use components of the host cell to make copies of itself. Often, a virus ends up killing the host cell in the process, causing damage to the host organism. Well-known examples of viruses causing human disease include AIDS, COVID-19, measles and smallpox.

Source: 3,350 pigs killed by African Swine Fever disease mizoram aizwal animal husbandry veterinary