African Swine Fever Vaccine Almost Ready

Sarguja: As Chhattisgarh grapples with a resurgence of African swine fever, a vaccine developed in Madhya Pradesh by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has entered its second phase of testing at Ambikapur pig farm in Chhattisgarh’s Sarguja district.

The African swine fever is spreading fast in the state, causing massive fatalities at pig farms. Veterinarians said this is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease and if it infects one pig, many get infected.

Veterinary doctors said that the vaccine for this disease has not yet been developed by any country. The ICMR scientists in Bhopal have developed a vaccine and presently trials are being conducted.

“African swine fever is a deadly viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs, causing up to 100 percent mortality rates. The vaccine for this disease has been developed at ICMR’s lab in Bhopal and the trials are being done at the government-run Ambikapur pig farm. If this vaccine is successful then it will immensely benefit the pig breeders,” Dr Mishra said.

According to Dr Mishra, the highest outbreak of this disease has been seen in Mudapar of Durg, prompting culling of over 300 pigs to control outbreak. “The infection spreads through the blood, faeces, urine, and saliva of infected pigs. The symptoms appear 4–19 days after infection. In this disease, pigs suffer from high fever, loss of appetite, weakness and lethargy, breathing difficulty and develop red and blue spots on the skin,” he explained.