African Swine Flu

Why is in news? Kerala confirms African Swine Flu at pig farm in Kottayam district

The district authorities said the virus infection was confirmed after samples taken from the farm were tested at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal.

A one-kilometer stretch around the farm has been declared infected where 48 pigs have been culled as a preventive measure. A ten-kilometer radius around the farm is being closely monitored.

The authorities have shut down shops selling pig meat and steps have been taken to ensure that no pigs are being transported from the infected zone.

It is a highly contagious and fatal animal disease that infects and leads to an acute form of hemorrhagic fever in domestic and wild pigs.

Other manifestations of the disease include high fever, depression, anorexia, loss of appetite, hemorrhages in the skin, vomiting and diarrhoea among others.

It was first detected in Africa in the 1920s.

Historically, outbreaks have been reported in Africa and parts of Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.

However, more recently (since 2007), the disease has been reported in multiple countries across Africa, Asia and Europe, in both domestic and wild pigs.

The mortality is close to 100% and since the fever has no cure, the only way to stop its spread is by culling the animals.

ASF is not a threat to human beings since it only spreads from animals to other animals.

ASF is a disease listed in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and thus, reported to the OIE.

Transmission:

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 - ticks of the species Ornithodoros.

World Organisation for Animal Health:

OIE is an intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving animal health worldwide.

It has 182 Member Countries. India is one of the member countries.

OIE develops normative documents relating to rules that Member Countries can use to protect themselves from the introduction of diseases and pathogens. One of them is the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

OIE standards are recognised by the World Trade Organization as reference international sanitary rules.

It is headquartered in Paris, France.