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How to protect your pig farm from African swine fever (ASF)
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and often fatal viral disease affecting domestic pigs and wild boar. There is currently no cure and no vaccine.
The most effective way to protect your pig farm is through strict biosecurity measures, including access control, visitor hygiene protocols, cleaning and disinfection procedures, water hygiene management and wildlife control.
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What causes African Swine Fever?
African swine fever is caused by the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV), a DNA virus from the Asfarviridae family that affects domestic pigs and wild boars.
Key characteristics include:
- extremely high mortality rates
- rapid spread within a herd
- severe economic impact on pig production
Since no vaccine is available, biosecurity is the most important prevention strategy.
How is African Swine Fever transmitted?
The virus can spread through direct contact with infected pigs, ingestion of contaminated water, feed, and through ticks that act as vectors or rats. It can also spread through contaminated equipment, vehicles, clothing, and in some cases, via airborne routes over short distances.
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What are the symptoms of African Swine Fever?
Recognizing the symptoms of African Swine Fever is crucial for early detection and effective control measures. Some of the key symptoms to look out for are:
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- Acute high fever
- Loss of appetite
- Inability to stand, weakness
- Reddening of the skin
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Respiratory issues
- Hemorrhage (bleeding, discoloured skin)
- Miscarriage in pregnant sows
- Sudden death
- Joint swelling
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How can you protect your pig farm from African Swine Fever?
There is currently no vaccine available for African Swine Fever (ASF). Therefore, it becomes even more important to take the right measures to prevent ASF from entering your farm. To achieve this,, it's crucial to implement strict biosecurity measures, maintain sanitation, practice hygiene, clean drinking water, enforce quarantine, and control incoming goods and visitors.
Due to its severe impact on pig populations and the pork industry, early detection and reporting of these symptoms are crucial for effective control and prevention measures.
The 5 steps to prevent African Swine Fever
As a pig farmer, it is crucial for you to take the lead in safeguarding your pigs from African Swine Fever and preventing its spread. Our pig field experts highly recommend implementing these four biosecurity measures to ensure the security of your pig farm.:format(webp))
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Contain the threat: set-up a colour system
Using dedicated colors for tools, equipment, and clothing in each location prevents ASF cross-contamination. If detected in one location, it is extremely important to make sure it stays contained. A colours system can help to ensure quarantine measures are strictly followed.:format(webp))
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Prevent the introduction of ASF via drinking water
African Swine Fever (ASF) can spread through drinking water. A study (Niederwerder et al, 2019) has shown that ASFV strain can be transmitted to pigs through consumption of contaminated water. Di-O-Clean is approved as disinfectant against ASF in water and removes biofilm from the water pipelines.:format(webp))
Frequently asked questions about African swine fever
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