What is African Swine Flu?

About African Swine Flu:

• African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, whose mortality rate can reach 100%.
  • The virus belongs to Asfarviridae family.
• Symptoms : vomiting, Diarrhea,reddening or darkening of the skin, particularly ears and snout, gummed up eyes etc.
• African Swine Fever can be spread through:
  • Direct contact with infected pigs, faeces or body fluid
  • 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 - ticks of the species Ornithodoros.
• It is endemic to sub-Saharan Africa but has spread to many other regions of the world, including Asia and Europe.
• It is not known to affect human beings. 
• There is no cure or precaution available for the infection and no approved vaccine So the only way to stop it spreading is by culling the animals.

 

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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.

Source: African Swine Fever scare: 700 pigs culled in Damoh, Madhya Pradesh