African Swine Fever outbreak in Uttarakhand: Know all about the viral disease

New Delhi, July 10: After the north-eastern states of Assam, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, Uttarakhand has now reported cases of African Swine Fever (ASF). Since this disease is highly communicable and has no vaccine, the state govvernment has urged residents to avoid having pork for at least the next one week.

Over the last week, authorities were alerted to around 200 pig deaths in cities like Dehradun, Kotdwar, Chamoli and Muni ki Reti (in Tehri Garhwal district).

The District Magistrate said that the disease has been confirmed in the Rishikesh Municipal Corporation area. "A radius of one kilometre has been declared as an infected zone. There is a complete ban on pig meat/pig meat shops/pig traffic in this area. Instructions have been given to take measures to prevent infected area and local disinfection, fumigation and ticks and to keep sick animals separate from healthy animals," ANI quoted him as saying.

Should we worry?
We live at a time where there are plenty of diseases are affecting humans in one or the other way. Even as the world is limping back from the devastation caused by COVID-19, the cases of Monkeypox left people worried. So, should people worry about African Swine Fever?

It is a viral disease of pigs and wild boars that is usually deadly. Humans are not susceptible to the disease. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.

African swine fever is a highly contagious affecting both domestic and feral swine of all ages. It is very similar in its clinical presentation to classical swine fever.

Transmission and spread

Healthy pigs and boar usually become infected by:

Contact with infected animals, including contact between free-ranging pigs and wild boar.

Ingestion of meat or meat products from infected animals - kitchen waste, swill feed, infected wild boar (including offal).

Contact with anything contaminated by the virus such as clothing, vehicles and other equipment.

Bites by infectious ticks.

Movement of infected animals, contaminated pork products and the illegal disposal of carcasses are the most significant means of spread of the disease.

Pigs surviving the acute phase may apparently recover. But they may remain carriers of the virus - for several months. The symptoms may initially disappear, and can return at a later stage.

Symptoms and Signs:

Vomiting:
Diarrhea (sometimes bloody)
Reddening or darkening of the skin, particularly the ears and snout
Gummed-up eyes
Laboured breathing and coughing
Abortion, still births and weak litters
Weakness and unwillingness to stand

Treatment:
There is no treatment and infected animals must be isolated and culled immediately after getting infected by the virus.