Even in ancient times, entire countries disappeared from epidemics from maps. And in the modern world there are such viral infections from which vaccines are not invented to prevent their outbreak. There are many diseases that pose a great danger to animals. Below we consider one of them - this is the African swine fever. Danger to humans from it is small, but to be able to prevent its spread is extremely important.
African plague - what is it?
This disease appeared in the early 20th century. It was first registered in South Africa at the very beginning of the 20th century. It has several names: African fever, East African plague. African swine fever danger to humans does not represent, but rather quickly changes its form of flow. A characteristic feature of the virus is that it behaves unpredictably.
This is a viral disease that occurs with a very high temperature, discoloration of the skin, large foci of internal hemorrhage. According to the International Classification of Dangerous Animal Diseases that are Contagious, it belongs to List A.
What is the danger of the disease to humans?
If you ask yourself whether African swine fever is dangerous for humans, you can answer in two ways. From the point of view of physical health, we can say that it is not dangerous to humans. To be precise, cases of human disease have not been recorded. But on the other hand, there is still harm from this disease and risks, given that the course and forms of this disease are not fully understood. Let's consider some of them.
- The African swine fever virus is not a danger to humans, but any virus weakens the immune system. There have already been cases of detecting antibodies against plague in the human body, which means that it is possible that a person can tolerate this disease asymptomatically.
- Given that the virus develops unpredictably and is so far the only one in the asfovirus family, an increase in its varieties is possible. There is a risk that he will take possession of man.
- There is evidence that the virus was detected in people with tropical fever. It can also provoke the development of other dangerous diseases.
We can say that African swine fever is not a danger to humans, but nevertheless, contact with infected animals should be avoided, since the virus constantly mutates, and it is impossible to predict its future behavior.
What is the etiology of this disease?
This virus of the Asfarviridae family is very persistent and can remain viable from several weeks to months. It is found in meat products that have not undergone heat treatment. In sick pigs, it is found in all fluids inside the body. There are several genotypes of viruses.
Who is at risk?
Whether African swine fever is dangerous for humans, we have already found out. However, a person may be a mechanical carrier of the virus. Also, carriers can be domestic and wild animals, skin parasites, rodents. Of course, sick pigs pose a threat to healthy only if they were in contact with them.
African plague affects not only domestic pigs, but also wild ones. The disease can erupt due to a virus carrier or a sick animal. The disease can also spread through feed, pastures and premises in which patients or carriers of the virus were. Uncontaminated waste is also hazardous.
Symptoms of the disease
Although African swine fever is not a danger to humans, symptoms diseases in animals need to know. It is worth noting that the disease can occur in several forms:
- swift;
- spicy;
- subacute;
- chronic
In case of lightning fast, the animal dies on the first day of the disease. At the same time, severe weakness, heavy breathing and high body temperature up to 42 degrees are noted.
In the acute form, as well as subacute and very rarely chronic, the following symptoms are observed:
- the temperature rises to 40.5-42 degrees;
- vomiting
- difficulty breathing ;
- there is paralysis of the hind limbs;
- bowel movements or constipation;
- weakness;
- increased thirst;
- brownish-purple spots appear in the neck.
The difference is only in the duration of the course, so the acute form lasts up to 7 days, subacute to 20.
As a rule, the risk of mortality is from 50% to 100%. If the animal recovers, it is the carrier of this dangerous virus.
Diagnosis of the disease
Classical swine fever is very similar to the African form of the disease, so you need to be very careful when diagnosing the disease. The farmer should regularly examine the animals and in case of detection of the symptoms mentioned above, it is urgent to contact the veterinary service. First of all, urgently need to isolate those animals that have suspicious symptoms.
If a diagnosis of African swine fever is established, there is no danger to humans in this process. The veterinarian conducts an examination, records changes, takes a number of samples for research. Be sure to find the source of infection. An antibody test identifies the disease.
African Plague Treatment
Given the great contagiousness of the virus, treatment of infected animals is prohibited. In addition, scientists are looking for a vaccine against the virus, but so far unsuccessfully, and it is not amenable to treatment. This is because he is constantly changing his form. For example, before, animal mortality was 100%, but now the disease is asymptomatic, often chronic.
However, there are measures that must be taken when a sick animal is discovered.
The task is to prevent the virus from spreading, therefore, if the plague is fixed, all livestock in the epicenter must be destroyed in a bloodless manner. The ash is mixed with lime and buried.
It is also necessary to destroy items used in caring for livestock, feed. The adjacent territories and pig farms are treated with a hot 3% alkali solution and 2% formaldehyde solution.
Within a radius of 10 kilometers from the focus of the disease, pigs are processed for canned food. Quarantine is announced for half a year. Premises cannot be used during the year after quarantine.
Analyzing all this, we can say that the African swine fever is a danger to humans in the economic sphere. Large livestock losses are recorded in the form of cash losses and the cost of fighting the virus.
Plague prevention
To prevent this serious disease of pigs from endangering the livestock, the following recommendations must be followed:
- Timely vaccinate pigs from classical plague and erysipelas.
- Avoid free grazing of animals, keep it in a fenced area.
- Reorganize the room where animals are kept several times a month.
- Fight rodents as they are carriers of the virus.
- If pigs are fed animal waste, they must be processed at a temperature of at least 70 degrees, then added to the feed.
- Do not purchase pigs not verified by the State Veterinary Service.
- In case of any disease or suspicion of a virus, immediately contact the veterinary service.
Summing up the theme “African swine fever: is it dangerous for humans?”, We can say that there is no serious threat so far, but you need to be alert, protect your health and be careful about the animals you keep.