The latest reports reveal that Nagaland has not observed any new instances of African Swine Flu in the previous two weeks. This highly infectious and dangerous animal ailment first emerged in November and December 2019 near areas of China bordering Arunachal Pradesh. In April 2020, there were pig fatalities due to the Classical Swine Fever (CSF).
African Swine Fever (ASF): An Overview
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of African Swine Fever (ASF) is its high transmission rate and fatal nature in both domestic and wild pigs. Symptoms of ASF are severe and include high fever, depression, anorexia, loss of appetite, skin hemorrhages, vomiting, and diarrhoea. ASF origins can be traced back to Africa in the 1920s.
Since 2007, the disease has become increasingly prevalent across several continents including Africa, Asia, and Europe, affecting both domesticated and wild swine populations. The mortality rate of ASF is close to 100%, and with no available cure, the primary method of control is culling the animals. Fortunately, ASF poses no risk to humans as it only transmits between animals.
As this is a significant animal disease, ASF is listed in the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and requires reporting to the OIE.
Classical Swine Fever (CSF): A Global Threat
Also known as hog cholera, CSF is a critical illness that affects pigs and causes severe financial losses globally. The disease originates from a virus belonging to the Pestivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family, which closely ties with the pathogens causing bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle and border disease in sheep. Just like ASF, CSF has a 100% mortality rate.
The ICAR-IVRI recently produced a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine (live attenuated) using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus from foreign strains. This new vaccine induces protective immunity from day 14 of vaccination until 18 months afterward.
World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE): Protecting Animal Health Worldwide
Comprising of 182 Member Countries, of which India is one, the OIE is an intergovernmental organization aimed at enhancing animal health worldwide. One of the OIE’s key responsibilities is to develop normative documents bearing regulations that Member Countries can employ to shield themselves from the introduction of diseases and pathogens. One such document is the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
OIE standards are acknowledged by the World Trade Organization as reference international sanitary rules. The organization operates from its headquarters in Paris, France.
Last Modified: February 13, 2024