African Swine Fever (ASF)
19.11.2025
- African Swine Fever (ASF)
Context
Assam has recently imposed a ban on inter-district movement of live pigs and prohibited pork sales in seven districts following a sharp rise in African Swine Fever (ASF) cases. The outbreak threatens pig populations and the livelihoods of farmers.
About African Swine Fever
• ASF is a highly contagious viral hemorrhagic disease affecting domestic and wild pigs, caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a large double-stranded DNA virus from the Asfarviridae family.
• The disease does not affect humans but can kill up to 100% of infected pigs, making it devastating for pig farming.
• Soft ticks (Ornithodoros spp.) act as biological vectors, maintaining the virus in nature.
• Spread occurs through direct contact with infected pigs or indirectly via contaminated clothes, shoes, vehicles, feed, bedding, slaughter waste, and unprocessed pork products.
• The virus survives for long periods in the environment and in pork products like ham, sausages, and bacon, making human-mediated movement a major factor in its spread.
• Peracute cases: sudden death within 1–3 days, extremely high fever (106–108°F).
• Acute cases: lethargy, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, blue-purple discoloration of ears/abdomen/legs, bloody froth from nose/mouth, bloody diarrhea, abortions.
• Mortality rate: 90–100%.
• Notifiable disease: outbreaks must be reported to authorities.
• Highly stable virus: can survive on surfaces, feed, soil, equipment, and meat products.
• Endemic cycle: maintained among wild pigs, warthogs, bushpigs, and ticks.
• First detection in India: Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, 2020.
Treatment & Control
• No vaccine or cure is currently available globally.
• Containment relies on strict biosecurity, mass culling, and movement restrictions.
Recommended Measures
• Quarantine new pigs for 30–45 days.
• Restrict movement of pigs and vehicles from affected areas.
• Farm disinfection using 2% sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate.
• Segregate healthy and sick animals to prevent spread.
Conclusion
African Swine Fever is a highly lethal disease for pigs with severe economic implications. Early detection, strict biosecurity, and coordinated control measures remain the only effective strategies to prevent large-scale outbreaks.