#swine fever

[head-post]

Italy battles swine fever

Giovanni Airoli had one of his sows test positive for African swine fever at the end of August. Within a week, all 6,200 sows, piglets and fattening pigs on his farm south of Milan were slaughtered under strict protocols to stop the disease threatening Italy’s €20bn prosciutto, cured sausages and pork industry.

Since swine plague appeared on the peninsula in January 2022, nearly 120,000 pigs have been slaughtered in Italy – three-quarters of them in the last two months alone as the emergency intensified.

A total of 24 pig farms with a total of more than 100,000 pigs have been affected so far this year, according to an Italian health ministry report on September 20.

“It’s a desolation,” Airoli said as he left his farm in the northern region of Lombardy, which is ground zero of Italy’s swine fever epidemic. No one but workers are allowed in here, and that under strict hygiene protocols that require clean overalls and boots only indoors. Airoli also added:

“It happened to us despite applying all of the safety measures required. There was obviously a failure. We don’t understand what it could have been.”

We’re losing delicacies

The area of greatest concern, where the disease has been confirmed in domestic pigs, spans 4,500 square kilometres (almost 1,740 square miles) and includes neighbouring Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna.

Pig farmers have warned that the plague threatens the €8.2bn prosciutto, sausage and pork delicatessen industry. Prosciutto is considered a national treasure – it is an Italian ham made from ham rubbed with salt. No other ingredients are added.

The effects of the rinderpest outbreak are spreading further. Farmers in the 23,000 square kilometres (8,880 square miles) area are also facing restrictions because of infected wild boars or because they fall into the buffer zone.

New restrictions in swine fever fight

Coldiretti, Italy’s influential agricultural lobby group, estimates the damage to the industry so far at 500 million euros ($554 million), partly due to the import ban, and warns that some farmers risk losing their livelihoods. Experts estimate the sector generates 20 billion euros ($22 billion) across the supply chain, from farms where pigs are raised to factories where hams are cured. Confindustria President Ettore Prandini wrote in a recent letter to the agriculture minister:

“The spread of swine fever has reached alarming levels, putting at risk not just the health of the animals but of the entire pork sector.” 

Over the summer, the government appointed a new special commissioner to fight the epidemic, who is Giovanni Filippini, an experienced veterinarian and long-time head of Italy’s animal health authority, who eradicated swine fever on the island of Sardinia.

The previous two commissioners had focused on sending the army to hunt wild boars, which drew opposition from sport hunters and the EU, which emphasised that hunting risked sending infected animals into new areas.

Instead, Filippini imposed new restrictions on access to farms and animal movements, and expanded buffer zones – measures that appear to be having an impact. In Lombardy, only one new outbreak was reported in the last full week of September. Giovanni Loris Alborali, director of the Institute of Animal Health of Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, said:

“It is a positive sign, but not yet a victory. We must keep the sanitation high and this will help the animals’ health with better growth rates for farmers and fewer antibiotics for consumers in the future.”

Highly contagious viral disease

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease, usually resulting in 100 per cent mortality in domestic and wild pigs. There is no treatment for the disease. Wild boars are the natural reservoir of ASF. The infection causes fever, vomiting, diarrhoea with blood in pigs and wild boars.

The ASF virus poses no danger to humans, although scientists do not rule out that it can mutate.

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[thoughtlessarse]

Languages: Deutsch

Several animal diseases made a comeback across the European Union this summer, forcing authorities to impose transport restrictions and the culling of thousands of livestock amid financial losses for farmers and concerns about the potential impact on the bloc’s exports. Euractiv has looked into the most pressing diseases currently challenging the EU’s livestock sector. Goat plague Since mid-July, Greece and Romania have been battling Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR), also known as goat plague—a severe virus affecting sheep and goats. On 20 August, the European Commission announced restricted zones to contain the spread of the virus. Greece and Romania are among the EU’s largest goat producers, alongside France and Spain. According to EU safety protocols, entire herds must be culled if an infection is detected. In Greece, over 18,000 animals have been destroyed since July, while Romania has got rid of more than 200,000 goats. Government-imposed restrictions on animal transport and slaughter for the whole country caused a shortage of ovine meat in Greek supermarkets during the first weeks of August. This scarcity even forced changes to wedding menus in Crete, with the traditional goat dish gamopilafo being replaced by pork and chicken options, as reported by local media. As of 19 August, restrictions are limited to affected areas, but a national ban on Greek sheep and goat exports remains in place, as well as in Romania.

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[mindblowingscience]

A highly contagious and virulent virus is sweeping through domestic and wild swine populations across the world, decimating those in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The near-100% fatality rate threatens food security, ecosystems and the lives and traditions of millions. African Swine Fever (ASF) is probably the most devastating viral disease you have never heard of. Cultural practices centuries-old are at risk of extinction. Diets are dramatically shifting, placing an unsustainable burden on an already strained socio-ecological environment. Low- and lower-middle-income countries are bearing the brunt of this catastrophic pandemic, but few seem to care beyond the protection of domestic pork production. Would it be the same if experts were to predict that not a single American household would celebrate Thanksgiving with a turkey in 2024?

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[neosciencehub]

Challenges & Strategies for the Control of Classical Swine Fever Virus

Challenges & Strategies for the Control of Classical Swine Fever Virus @neosciencehub #sciencenews #featured #neosciencehub

“Classical swine fever (CSF) remains one of the most contagious and economically significant viral diseases, impacting both domestic pigs and wild boars globally,” said Dr. K. Kumanan, former Director of Research, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS). Presenting his paper at the Symposium on Strategies to Combat Economically Important Porcine & Poultry Viruses in India,…

[creativeera]

Swine Fever Vaccine: A Potential Lifesaver for Pigs Around the World

Origins and Spread of Swine Fever African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large DNA virus that was first identified in the early 20th century in Kenya. It is highly contagious among pigs and wild boar. The disease has since spread to many sub-Saharan African countries as well as parts of Europe and Asia. In recent years, ASFV has caused severe outbreaks and significant economic losses in Eastern Europe and China. Its ability to survive for long periods in uncooked pork products has aided its transmission over long distances. With globalization and increased movement of people and goods, the threat of ASFV spread to other pig-raising regions remains high. Challenges of Developing an Effective Vaccine Developing a vaccine against Swine Fever Vaccine has proven exceptionally challenging for several reasons. First, ASFV is a very large and complex virus unlike other common livestock pathogens. This complex structure makes it difficult for the immune system to generate protective antibodies against it. Second, there are no cell culture systems or small animal models available for consistent vaccine testing. Researchers must rely on infected pig trials for efficacy evaluations. These limitations have hindered traditional vaccine approaches using killed or attenuated virus versions. Novel vaccine strategies targeting specific ASFV genes are now being explored but require extensive safety testing before use in massive pig populations. Considerable resources and time are needed for vaccine development, testing, and regulatory approval. Promising New Vaccine Candidates Emerging In recent years, advances in viral genomics and gene-editing technologies have provided new opportunities for ASFV vaccine research. Chinese and European scientists have identified particular ASFV genes responsible for virulence. By deleting these genes, they have generated attenuated live vaccine candidates that induce protective immunity without disease in pig trials. Separately, researchers at the University of Florida developed a subunit vaccine containing a key ASFV protein formulated with an oil-based adjuvant. In preliminary tests, this synthetic vaccine demonstrated the ability to protect 100% of immunized pigs against lethal challenge. While more studies are still required, these modified live and subunit vaccine approaches show the most promising results to date. Large-Scale Production Challenges Ahead Even if an effective swine fever vaccine is proven through extensive field trials, major challenges remain for its widespread adoption and use in practice. Mass production under stringent quality control will need to meet the enormous demand from huge swine industries, especially in China and Europe. Ensuring proper cold chain management during transport and storage will be critically important for temperature-sensitive live vaccines. Achieving widespread coverage through multiple immunizations will pose logistical difficulties. Farmers may be reluctant to adopt an unproven new vaccine in places currently unaffected by the disease. Establishing an affordable pricing structure acceptable to different countries and farm sizes will also take rigorous economic modeling and negotiation with manufacturers. Overcoming these challenges will likely require unprecedented international cooperation between researchers, industry partners, and regulatory bodies. Widespread Immunization - The Ultimate Goal Ideally, an effective and affordable Swine Fever Vaccine distributed on a global scale could significantly curb the devastating impacts of this swine fever. With sufficient population immunity established through immunization programs, outbreaks may become more localized and amenable to control through quarantine and culling practices.

Get more insights on Swine Fever Vaccine

Priya Pandey is a dynamic and passionate editor with over three years of expertise in content editing and proofreading. Holding a bachelor's degree in biotechnology, Priya has a knack for making the content engaging. Her diverse portfolio includes editing documents across different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. Priya's meticulous attention to detail and commitment to excellence make her an invaluable asset in the world of content creation and refinement.

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[bhaskarlive]

IIT Guwahati’s new study to advance treatment for African Swine Fever Virus

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati on Friday shared a study on the biochemistry of the African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) protein, focusing on understanding the biochemical mechanisms of infection to develop efficient management techniques.

Swine fever is a highly contagious disease among pigs and poses a severe threat with a very high mortality rate. It, however, does not affect humans.

Source: bhaskarlive.in

[0ystercatcher]

italy deploying troops to fight roaming wild boars...everyone mocked the us for this but look at the world now

[bishtmeenakshi]

Vaccinating the World: Can the Market Deliver on Its Promise?

Explore the potential of the vaccine market to deliver on its promise of global immunization. Analyze trends, size, and future outlook across various vaccine segments, including pneumococcal, dengue, DNA, typhoid fever, and foot and mouth disease vaccines market.

[myblogscmi]

Swine Fever Vaccine Market Is Estimated To Witness High Growth Owing To Increasing Cases of Swine Fever Outbreaks

The global Swine Fever Vaccine Market is estimated to be valued at US$ 2,724.5 million in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period 2022-2030, as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. A) Market Overview: Swine fever, also known as classical swine fever, is a highly contagious viral disease that affects domestic and wild pigs. It is caused by the classical swine fever virus (CSFV). The disease can have devastating economic consequences for the swine industry, leading to mortality, loss of production, and trade restrictions. Swine Fever Vaccine Market are used as a preventive measure to control the spread of the virus and protect pig populations. The need for swine fever vaccines arises from the increasing cases of swine fever outbreaks worldwide. These outbreaks not only result in significant economic losses but also pose a threat to food security. Vaccination plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of the disease and minimizing its impact on the swine industry. B) Market Key Trends: One key trend observed in the swine fever vaccine market is the development of advanced vaccines with improved efficacy. Companies are investing in R&D activities to develop novel vaccines that provide better protection against the classical swine fever virus. For example, Ceva, a leading player in the market, has developed a next-generation live attenuated vaccine that offers prolonged immunity and reduces the risk of vertical transmission. The growing adoption of combination vaccines is another key trend in the market. Combination vaccines offer protection against multiple diseases, including swine fever. These vaccines provide convenience and cost-effectiveness by reducing the number of injections required and minimizing stress on pigs. Zoetis Services LLC, a prominent player in the market, offers combinational vaccines that protect against various swine diseases, including swine fever. Social: Swine fever outbreaks can result in public panic and fear due to the potential transmission of the virus to humans. This highlights the importance of effective disease control measures, including vaccination, to ensure public health and safety. Technological: Advances in technology have led to the development of more effective and efficient vaccines. This includes the use of adjuvants, new vaccine delivery systems, and advanced diagnostic techniques for disease surveillance. D) Key Takeaways: 1: The global Swine Fever Vaccine Market is expected to witness high growth, exhibiting a CAGR of 5.9% over the forecast period. This growth can be attributed to increasing cases of swine fever outbreaks globally. The need for preventive measures, such as vaccination, is driving the demand for swine fever vaccines. 2: In terms of regional analysis, Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing and dominating region in the swine fever vaccine market. The region has a large pig population and has been heavily affected by swine fever outbreaks. Governments in countries like China and Vietnam are actively implementing vaccination campaigns to control the spread of the disease. 3: Key players operating in the global swine fever vaccine market include Merck & Co., Inc. (Merck Animal Health), Ceva, Zoetis Services LLC, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Indian Immunologicals Ltd., Bioveta, a.s., Komipharm, and EC21 Inc. These players are investing in R&D activities to develop advanced vaccines and expand their market presence through partnerships and acquisitions. In conclusion, the swine fever vaccine market is expected to witness significant growth due to the increasing cases of swine fever outbreaks globally. The development of advanced vaccines and the adoption of combination vaccines are key trends in the market. Governments, swine producers, and vaccine manufacturers are actively working together to control the spread of the disease and protect pig populations.

[zohanlaboratory]

Best Diagnostic Centre In Dwarka

Zohan Labs stands as the premier diagnostic center in Dwarka, renowned for its exceptional healthcare services. With state-of-the-art technology and a dedicated team of medical experts, it offers precise and swift diagnostic solutions. Zohan Labs prioritizes accuracy, efficiency, and patient comfort, ensuring seamless experiences for all. Their comprehensive range of tests, timely results, and patient-centric approach set them apart, embodying excellence in healthcare. As a beacon of reliability, Zohan Labs consistently delivers top-tier diagnostic services, reaffirming its position as the best in Dwarka and a vital asset to the local medical landscape.

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