R Talimoa Mollier and Mahak Singh ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Medziphema

African Swine Fever (ASF) is ‘a highly infectious and contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of pigs, wild boar/feral pigs’. It is a very lethal disease with mortality rates of 95-100%. ASF has been identified in India for the first time in domestic pigs in the year 2020 from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and now it has spread to almost entire northeastern states. In absence of vaccine, on-farm and community level biosecurity measures are extremely important to further spread the disease. The ASF is different from Classical Swine Fever (CSF) for which vaccine is also available. However, clinical symptoms of both are similar and it is difficult to differentiate just by looking on clinical symptoms. ASF virus does not infect human (non-zoonotic) or other livestock species. Hence, it is not a public health risk. 

Nature of the virus and Epidemiology, survival in environment: It is caused by the Asfivirus of the Asfarviridae family, a very stable DNA virus. All members of the suidae family like pigs (domestic and wild) and warthogs are susceptible. The disease cycle and pattern of virus transmission is very complex and the disease could be transmitted through anything (live pig/inanimate objects/pork or pork products/vehicle/feed/water/human/birds etc.) which comes in contact with an ASF virus. The disease may manifest within 3 days of infection and go on till the 13th-14thday in acute cases while chronic cases can develop over 2-15 months. The ASF virus is stable over a wide range of physical and chemical challenges. The virus survives readily through a wide range of pH (3.9 - 11.5). The virus can survive up to 10 days to 140 days in different environment. Normal disinfectants like phenyl, potassium permanganate, dettol, other household disinfectants etc may not be too effective.

Mode of transmission - Direct contact with sick pigs, contaminated carcasses, urine, dung, hair, saliva, blood, contaminated feed, contaminated footwear and clothing, contaminated soil, contaminated water and animals or birds which could have contacted any contaminated material, birds or ticks. 

• Per-Acute form – High fever (41-42 °C) and sudden death within 1-3 days. There could be vomiting.

• Acute form – High fever (40-42°C)with reddening of skin of ear tip, tail, ventral aspects of chest and abdomen, and death within 6-9 days for highly virulent strains, or 11-15 days for moderately virulent isolates. Mortality upto 90-100% 

• Sub-acute form - Slight fever, reddening of skin and death within 15-45 days. Mortality between 30-70% 

• Chronic form -The lethality rate in this form is less than 30%. Pig shows irregular peaks of temperature, respiratory signs, necrosis in skin, ulcer, arthritis, joint swelling.

1.    Do not purchase pigs or piglets from market or unknown sources.  2.    Smuggling of pigs/pork in any form must be strictly stopped. 3.    Quarantine of newly purchased pigs (either for slaughtering or rearing) for 21 days. 4.    All pig/pork/feed carrying vehicles must be sprayed with disinfectant solution at all entry point.  5.    Sick animals should never be transported. 6.    A perimeter of at least 6 feet must be kept free of bushes/trees/vegetation around the pig shed and it must be fenced in.  7.    Hunting of wild boar should be prohibited. 8.    Carcass should be buried at least 6 feet deep. The carcass should be sprinkled heavily with raw lime or bleaching powder and then the pit may be filled up with earth. After filling up, the earth mound must be sprinkled heavily with bleaching powder or sprayed with sodium hypochloride solution.  9.    The pen in which the pig had got sick and died must be thoroughly disinfected and all the areas where the carcass was dragged along must be disinfected. 10.    Animal Husbandry department should be informed in case of suspected outbreaks of ASF.

•    Do not visit an area where ASF outbreak is reported. •    Do not let anyone enter your farm/ visit your pig-sty. •    Never enter your farm area or pig-sty after returning from market or out of town trips.  •    Always wash hands/bath and change clothes and footwear before entering the pig keeping area. Preferably, keep a separate set of clothes and footwear for the pig area. •    Always disinfect footwear and hands/gloves with suitable disinfectant. •    Do not let dogs/cats/chicken /pigeons or any birds enter your pig keeping area. •    Always boil kitchen waste before feeding; the boiling temperature must be maintained for at least 15-20 minutes. •    If a pig is sick/not eating /depressed, it should be attended to at the end of the work session only after attending to the healthy animals. Never re-enter the healthy animal pens after attending a sick animal.

Farm disinfection protocol: Bleaching powder, Sodium hypochlorite, Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), Potassium peroxymonosulfate and glutaraldehydes. These are available under various trade names like viroxide, hypoclean, sokrena, B2 etc.

Sodium hypochlorite 5-12 % in water could be used otherwise the bleaching powder solution may be prepared as discussed below.

1.    Mix bleaching powder in water at a rate of 1 teaspoon bleaching powder per litre of water and mix such that the bleach is properly dissolved. 2.    Let it settle for two hours 3.    Take supernatant in a sprayer and use for spraying over the pig sty. 4.    Before using the solution for spraying, the pen should be cleared of debris and washed with water.

General Sanitary protocol for farm

1.    Farm buildings should have a fenced perimeter leaving a gap of at least 30-50 feet between wall/fence and the buildings. Farm complex should have only one main entrance and an alternative which must be kept locked unless needed. 2.    Entry in the farm should be strictly banned and farm workers should only enter the farm after disinfecting their clothes, footwear etc. 3.    Daily disinfection of farm buildings and equipment in the morning and evening.  4.    All vehicles and articles entering the farm must be sanitised. 5.    Farm worker must never handle raw meat from the market or ever enter a sick animal’s pen in the neighbourhood. 6.    The animal attendant must avoid going to purchase meat from the wet market. 7.    They must not attend to sick pigs other than those in the farm. 8.    Farm clothes must be soaked in disinfectant, washed and ironed.  

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