African swine fever confirmed in wild pigs, panic in forest department and animal husbandry department

Raipur. There is panic in the Forest Department and Animal Husbandry Department due to the confirmation of African Swine Fever (ASF) in wild pigs in Chhattisgarh. This deadly virus has been confirmed in the investigation report of Bareilly based Institute of Veterinary Research.

Chhattisgarh’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Arun Pandey has said that a few days ago, a large number of wild boars had died under suspicious circumstances in many areas including Baloda Bazar, Mahasamund of Chhattisgarh. After these deaths, samples were sent to Bareilly for testing.

Now the report has confirmed the death due to African swine fever. After receiving the report, the Forest Department has instructed DFOs of many districts to increase vigilance and intensify monitoring. According to the National Library of Medicine, there are more than 9 million pigs in India, 45 percent of which are in India’s north-eastern states.

Viral diseases affecting pigs are a major cause of mortality, causing huge losses to pig farmers. African swine fever (ASF) is a highly infectious, devastating disease of pigs and wild boars that causes severe mortality.

ASF is caused by African swine fever virus, a genetically complex virus belonging to the Asphyvirus genus of the Asphyrviridae family. ASF is listed as a notifiable disease.

The disease was first described in the early 1900s when European pig breeds were introduced to the Kenya Colony and the disease later entered Europe (Portugal) in 1957, which was quickly controlled, but re-entered Portugal in 1960 and spread to the Iberian Peninsula and the rest of Europe.

Additionally, it progressed to the Russian Federation in 2007 and spread to China, then Vietnam and Myanmar, and India in 2018. ASFV is spreading intercontinentally. African swine fever is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, with a mortality rate of up to 100%.

The disease is reported to be spread through direct contact with pigs, contaminated meat/waste, or ticks, but is harmless to humans. There is no vaccine or treatment available. Its symptoms are high fever, redness/blueness of the skin, weakness, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and difficulty in breathing.

It is spread through infected animals, contaminated food, or clothing/equipment. The only way to prevent this disease is to adopt biosafety measures, destroy infected pigs and maintain strict surveillance.