Why in news?

The African Swine Fever has killed thousands of  pigs in Mizoram and Meghalaya  in a month.

African swine fever is highly contagious known as “pig Ebola”

What is African Swine Fever?

African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus .

The virus causes a hemorrhagic fever with high mortality rates in domestic pigs; some isolates can cause death of animals as quickly as a week after infection.

It persistently infects its natural hosts, warthogs, bushpigs, and soft ticks  which likely act as a vector, with no disease signs.

soft ticks are small parasitic arachnids of the family Argasidae, typically living on the skin of warm-blooded animals 

Does African Swine effects Human beings?

 It does not cause disease in humans.

The disease spreads from animal to animal.

Is African Swine curable?

There is no cure to the disease and thus the only way to stop the disease from spreading is by culling (segregating )the animals.

How it is Transmitted?

The disease is transmitted through direct contact.

The biological vectors that transmit the disease are ticks and fomites.

How African Swine flue can be controlled ?

African Swine flue is not curable .It can be prevented by following ways.

-Awareness programme

-Banning of  entry of pigs through bordering areas

-Banning  sale of carcasses.

- Culling (segregating ) of the animals.