Ministry Urges High Alert for Farmers Amid African Swine Fever Risk

Kathmandu. The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development has urged concerned farmers to maintain high vigilance due to the current risk of African Swine Fever (ASF) in pigs.

Since no vaccine is currently available against the disease, the Ministry has requested that biosecurity measures be adopted on pig farms and that in the event of an unusual death of pigs, immediate notification be made to the animal service centers or relevant bodies at the federal, provincial, and local levels.

African Swine Fever is caused by a virus in domestic pigs, swine, and wild boar species, and symptoms observed in these animals include high fever (104 to 107 degrees), reddening of the outer skin on the ears, tail, and lower abdomen.

Symptoms also include blue spots on the animal's body, loss of appetite, vomiting, and restlessness. Dr. Sanjeev Pandit from the Agriculture, Information, and Training Center under the Ministry stated that while the mortality rate in animals is high, the disease is not transmitted from animals to humans.

According to him, the center has disseminated informative messages to farmers to adopt necessary precautions to prevent the spread of infection. He urged everyone to exercise high caution as there is a risk of easy transmission of infection during the transportation of meat products from one place to another if there is contact with pigs, piglets, or other animals showing such symptoms.

The center reported that African Swine Fever infection was first detected in Nepal three years ago. It is reported that the infection has spread to more than ten thousand pigs in the Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas.