African Swine Fever In Pune: 2 Infected Pigs Euthanised And Urgent Vaccination Drive Underway

Pune reports cases of African Swine Fever (ASFV) which prompted an urgent vaccination drive to curb further spread across the state.

For the first time, African Swine Fever (ASFV) was detected in Pune. Two infected pigs were urgently euthanised in an attempt to curb further spread. The African Swine Flu Virus is a fatal viral infection that spreads among pigs. It has a mortality rate of 100 percent. State authorities issued a notice informing officials to implement all urgent measures including euthanising infected pigs within a one kilometre radius. The viral infection however cannot affect humans, says experts. African Swine Flu Virus is not a zoonotic disease which is why the chances of it spreading to humans is nil. Because of the low risk for humans, it is also considered safe for consumption. You can eat pork or products derived from pork.

But, certain things should be kept in mind such as:

A country without ASF infection should never buy pork or pork-derived products from a country with the infection.
Pork and pork products must not be allowed into swine production facilities as may risk contamination.
Spread of this infection among animals poses a severe socio-economic risk in countries that are endemic and other countries which regularly import pork or pork products.

What Causes African Swine Fever?

Experts say that they are unclear about the exact cause of spread in Pune. Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation including sample collection and tracing the travel history of infected animals' owners to get to the bottom of it. Steps to mitigate risks:

All pet owners, veterinary professionals and organised pig farm operators have been asked to report any type of unusual symptoms that they may notice. The main symptoms of ASFV are listed below.

Vaccination Drive To Curb ASFV

The situation is rather urgent and because of it, the animal husbandry has issued a request for over .6 lakh doses of ASFV vaccine from the central government. The aim is to vaccinate the population of pigs across the state. There is no cire for this infection and thus, prevention through vaccines is the only way to stop the spread.