The latest news reports reveal that Thailand has identified the presence of African Swine Fever (ASF) in a surface swab sample taken from a slaughterhouse. This development brings to light the far-reaching impact and spread of ASF, underscoring its potentially devastating implications for the global pig industry.
A Closer Look at African Swine Fever
African Swine Fever is an extremely contagious and deadly animal disease. It infects domestic and wild pigs, triggering an acute form of hemorrhagic fever. The symptoms exhibited by infected pigs include high fever, depression, anorexia, loss of appetite, skin hemorrhages, vomiting, and diarrhea, among others.
ASF was first recorded in Africa in the 1920s. Over the years, outbreaks have been reported in Africa, parts of Europe, South America, and the Caribbean. In recent years, since 2007 specifically, the disease has surfaced in numerous countries spread across three continents: Africa, Asia, and Europe. In 2021, incidences of the disease were reported even in India.
This highly fatal disease has a near 100% mortality rate. Since there’s no known cure for ASF, the only possible measure to stop the spread of the disease is to cull the infected animals. Importantly, it poses no threat to human beings as the disease only spreads from animals to other animals.
As per the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), ASF is a disease listed in the Terrestrial Animal Health Code and therefore, needs to be duly reported to the OIE.
Classical Swine Fever: Another Global Concern
Apart from African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever (CSF), also known as hog cholera, is another significant disease impacting pigs globally. This viral disease is one of the most economically damaging pandemics among pigs worldwide.
The disease is caused by a virus from the genus Pestivirus, a member of the family Flaviviridae, which also includes viruses that bring about bovine viral diarrhea in cattle. CSF, similar to ASF, also records a 100% mortality rate.
In a recent development, ICAR-IVRI has developed a Cell Culture CSF Vaccine using the Lapinized Vaccine Virus derived from a foreign strain. This latest vaccine has shown promising results, inducing protective immunity from day 14 of vaccination until up to 18 months.
Highlights on World Organisation for Animal Health
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to improving animal health across the globe. It consists of 182 member countries, including India.
One of OIE’s key roles involves developing normative documents relating to regulations that Member Countries can employ to safeguard themselves from the introduction of diseases and pathogens. An example of such a document is the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.
OIE standards hold global recognition by the World Trade Organization as international sanitary regulations. The organization operates out of its headquarters based in Paris, France.