Kerala reports cases of African Swine fever in Kottayam district; more information here

Kerala has again reported cases of African swine fever at a private farm in Meenachil Panchayat of the Kottayam district. A few months ago, the flu was reported from a few farms in Kannur and Wayanad districts.

The Kottayam district collector, Dr. P. K. Jayasree, said that precautionary measures have been taken to prevent the disease from spreading and that 48 infected pigs have been culled so far.

The chairperson of the district disaster management has directed the animal husbandry authorities to kill and bury pigs in farms where fever has been reported. Previously, the virus was limited to African countries, parts of Europe, the Caribbean, and South America.


African swine fever: Here's all you need to know

• African swine fever (ASF) is a deadly and highly contagious viral swine disease that can affect both domestic and wild pigs.
• It does not infect humans but has devastating effects on the pig population and the farming economy. No effective vaccine is available yet against ASF.
• The virus can be transmitted if uncooked food waste is fed to pigs or if the food given to pigs contains contaminated pork products.
• High fever, redness, coughing, blotchy skin, decreased appetite and weakness, diarrhea and vomiting, and difficulty breathing are symptoms of African Swine Fever.

According to the district authorities, measures like shutting down shops selling pork meat in the affected area and restricting the transportation of pigs, meat, and fodder to other areas have been taken.

FAQs:

1. What is African Swine Fever?
   It is a dangerous, highly contagious DNA virus that infects pigs.
2. Does African Swine Fever affect humans?
   No, African swine fever does not infect people but spreads faster from one animal to another.