African swine fever is increasingly affecting livestock in Russia. Cattle farms in the Leningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Tver, Omsk regions, Sosnovsky district and other large settlements are concerned about how to preserve their livestock population. Every farmer should know the symptoms of swine ASF and how it is transmitted. Many are concerned about the question of whether this infection is transmitted and what danger it poses to people. And also, is it allowed to eat the meat of infected pigs.

African swine fever - what is this disease

Swine ASF is a viral disease that is quite resistant to treatment. Experts believe that the infectious agent remains viable for 18 months. Individuals of all ages can get sick. Scientists distinguish several subspecies of infection: A, B and C. This disease was first discovered on the African continent, hence its name. In the wild, the virus is carried by a wild African pig and insects of the genus ornithodoros.

The disease affects individuals of all ages.

Attention! Parasites, rodents, birds, domestic and wild animals that have come into contact with infected individuals can transmit African swine fever. A person can also contribute to an outbreak.

How African swine fever is transmitted

Livestock can become infected with African plague after contact with infected individuals. Also, the causative agent of the disease can be found in feed, water, inventory, transport for transporting pigs. Damage to the mucous membranes and skin, blood and insect bites help the virus penetrate.

Tetramisole 10 - instructions for use for pigs

Sick animals often die. Individuals that were able to survive become carriers of the infection. Once it enters the bloodstream, the virus multiplies rapidly. After the first symptoms appear, the disease affects more than 37% of the herd.

Note! All livestock located 10 km from the outbreak of infection is at risk of infection.

Is African swine fever dangerous to humans?

Scientists are sure that ASF is not dangerous for humans - the human body is not susceptible to the pathogen. No harm will be done to health even when a person eats the meat of an infected animal. To date, not a single case of transmission of this disease to people has been recorded.

Pig diseases

Despite the fact that ASF, according to scientific data, is not dangerous to humans, experts believe that there are still some risks.

Attention! The meat of infected individuals is allowed for consumption only after undergoing prolonged heat treatment. Smoking products does not kill the plague pathogen.

Reasons why you should stop eating such meat:

  • Infection can weaken a person's immune system.
  • The disease develops unexpectedly. The virus belongs to the class of asfaviruses, it has the ability to mutate. There is a high probability of its modification and the appearance of new variations.
  • ASF can exacerbate the development of serious diseases.

Symptoms of African swine fever

Pig - description and characteristics

The incubation period lasts from 2 to 14 days. The duration of the period is influenced by: how much virus has entered the body, the individuality of immunity and the form of the course of the disease.Timely diagnosis in the initial period plays an important role in treatment. The disease has several degrees, differing in the first manifestations:

  • fever (temperature above 40 ° C);
  • loss of appetite;
  • apathy;
  • difficulty breathing, cough;
  • the appearance of discharge from the eyes and nose;
  • impaired motility, instability;
  • hind limb paralysis;
  • pneumonia;
  • the appearance of bruising, subcutaneous edema on the face and trunk;
  • hair loss;
  • failure of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • vomiting.

African swine fever

Important! The peculiarity of the virus is such that the symptoms may not appear to the full. The disease can be lightning-fast, then the individual dies without showing symptoms.

Description of the forms of the disease

There are two forms of ASF: chronic and atypical

  • Chronic form can last up to 60 days. Individuals suffer from diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, cough and shortness of breath. The pigs lose weight, their skin wrinkles and bruises appear on the inner thighs, abdomen and muzzle.
  • Atypical form most often affects piglets in which maternal immunity has already been formed. With this form, animals can recover, but there is a high likelihood of complications. According to the latest data, the mortality rate is 30-60%.

ASF diagnostics

It is impossible to diagnose African plague at home. For detection, laboratory tests are required. Diagnosis is also accompanied by the collection of samples, specimens and pathological, epizootic data. The best diagnostic methods are the method of fluorescent antibodies and the hemadsorption reaction.

Sampling

African swine fever treatment

To date, a cure for the causative agent of the disease has not yet been created. You can get rid of ASF by exterminating the entire herd that is in the quarantine zone. Animals are recommended to be destroyed in a bloodless way, and the carcasses to burn. It is also worth paying special attention to the place where the herd is kept: all equipment and flooring are burned.

Destruction of sick livestock

Attention! At the first sign of infection, farmers vaccinate the entire livestock population, which saves some of the animals. There is also a popular way of dealing with ASF - a sick pig is injected with 100-150 grams of vodka.

Prevention

The following preventive measures will help:

  • buy feed from certified sellers, where there is no likelihood of contamination of products with infections;
  • thermally process animal feed before serving;
  • regularly treat the farm and equipment with disinfectants;
  • minimize contact between pigs and birds;
  • purchase animals that have received documents and have been examined by a veterinarian;
  • vaccinate sows.

Important! When the first signs of illness are found, the animal should be isolated.

ASF is a viral disease transmitted through objects in contact with a sick individual. Although there is no cure for it, livestock can be protected by vaccination, disinfection, and limiting contact between pets. The virus is not yet dangerous for humans, however, the possibility of its mutation is not excluded.