African Swine Fever – UPSC Current Affairs

African Swine Fever – UPSC Notes | Causes, Impact, India Response

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Learn about African Swine Fever (ASF) – causes, transmission, impact, and India’s response. Key UPSC Current Affairs topic for Prelims and Mains.

🐖 What is African Swine Fever?

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs, leading to severe economic losses in the pork industry. It is not a threat to human health, but it can wipe out entire pig populations, making it a critical concern in agriculture and veterinary science.

🦠 Cause of African Swine Fever (ASF)

Caused by the ASF virus (ASFV) – a large DNA virus from the Asfarviridae family.

The virus is extremely resilient, surviving in meat products for months.

🔁 Transmission of ASF

Direct contact with infected pigs or wild boars.

Through contaminated feed, clothes, vehicles, equipment.

Soft ticks (Ornithodoros genus) may also act as vectors in some regions.

⚠️ Symptoms of ASF in Pigs

High fever

Loss of appetite

Hemorrhages (bleeding) on the skin and internal organs

Sudden death with up to 100% mortality

🌍 Global Impact

First detected in Africa in the 1920s.

Spread to Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and recently India.

China (2018) witnessed massive outbreaks, culling millions of pigs.

🇮🇳 ASF in India – Recent Outbreaks

First confirmed in May 2020 in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Since then, ASF outbreaks have been reported in several North Eastern states, and more recently in Kerala and Uttar Pradesh.

Thousands of pigs have been culled as part of disease control measures.

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) monitors and coordinates the response.

🧪 Prevention & Control Measures

No vaccine or treatment currently available.

Early detection, quarantine, culling, and disinfection are crucial.

Biosecurity measures: controlling movement of pigs, sanitizing farms, and safe disposal of carcasses.

📚 Why ASF is Important for UPSC?

UPSC Prelims: Questions can appear under Animal Husbandry, Current Affairs, or General Science.

UPSC Mains GS3: Issues related to food security, livelihoods, agriculture, disease outbreaks, and veterinary infrastructure.

Essay or Interview: ASF can be linked to themes like One Health, Zoonotic diseases, Economic Disruption, and Rural Economy.

📝 Mock UPSC Mains Question:

Q. Discuss the impact of African Swine Fever on rural economy and suggest policy measures to mitigate the threat. (150 words)

✅ Key Points to Remember

ASF ≠ Swine Flu (Swine flu affects humans; ASF does not)

No vaccine for ASF (unlike classical swine fever)

ASF causes economic loss, not public health emergency

ASF is notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE)