African Swine Fever
Source : NDTV
GS II : Health
What is discussed under African Swine Fever?
- About the Fever
- Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009
- National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD)
Why in News ?
More than 2,000 pigs have died due to African swine fever in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa city in the span of two weeks, prompting the administration to issue prohibitory orders.
Key Facts
- Prohibitory orders have been issued under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), banning transportation, purchase and sale of
Image by Roy Buri from Pixabay pigs and their meat, in the order under the Prevention and Control of Infections and Contagious Animal Disease Act 2009.
- National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases (NIHSAD) in Bhopal has tested samples and detected African swine fever in pigs within Rewa municipal limits.
- By demarcating this settlement as a red zone, all pigs within a radius of one km were being screened and healthy animals were being vaccinated against the disease.
- More than 2,000 pigs in Rewa city have died of African Swine Fever.
Section 144 in The Code Of Criminal Procedure
Power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance of apprehended danger. Executive Magistrate of any state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of four or more people in an area. Punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
African Swine Fever
- Virus is a large, double-stranded DNA virus in the Asfarviridae family first detected in Kenya in 1909 & currently found in Asia, Europe & Africa.
- Affects domestic & wild pigs with Symptoms includes weight loss, intermittent fever, respiratory signs, chronic skin ulcers & arthritis.
- Acute forms are characterised by anorexia, loss of appetite & haemorrhages in the skin.
- It is transmitted through natural hosts (warthogs, bushpigs & ticks), direct/indirect contact with infected pigs, their faeces & body fluids.
- They are found no health risk to human.
- There is no vaccine for ASF.
Prevention and Control of Infectious and Contagious Diseases in Animals Act, 2009
- Act to provide for the prevention, control and eradication of infectious and contagious diseases affecting animals, for prevention of outbreak or spreading of such diseases from one State to another, and to meet the international obligations.
- Vaccination of any animal against any scheduled disease in respect of which vaccination is made mandatory under the provisions of this Act.
- All animals infected or suspected to be infected with a scheduled disease will be segregated and prevented from grazing or drinking water from a common source.
- State government can notify any area as a controlled area with respect to any scheduled disease.
- If the state government is satisfied that the disease is no longer prevalent, it can declare the area as a free area.
- A Veterinary Officer can notify an area within his jurisdiction as an infected area.
- Animal of the species or any susceptible species can enter into or exit from a controlled or free area only if it has been vaccinated at least 21 days before the date of movement.
National Institute of High Security Animal Disease (NIHSAD)
- A premier institute of India for research on exotic and emerging pathogens of animals.
- NIHSAD came into existence on 8th Aug., 2014 as an independent institute under ICAR
The objectives
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- To carry out basic & applied research on exotic, emerging and re-emerging diseases of animals.
- To develop competency for diagnosis & control of exotic/emerging diseases of animals.
- To create & update repository and data-bank on exotic/emerging pathogens
- To develop skills in biorisk management & train manpower in the areas of biosafety, biosecurity and biocontainment.
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