African Swine Fever is a highly contagious disease of pigs that is clinically indistinguishable from Classical Swine Fever. Pigs most often contract the disease from eating food scraps contaminated with the virus, which can survive in frozen carcasses for several years. The African Swine Fever virus can also be spread to pigs through tick bites. African Swine Fever spreads rapidly from pig to pig through contact with nasal secretions, blood and feces, ingestion of contaminated meat or contact with contaminated equipment and clothing.

An outbreak of African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 1978-79 led the United States to depopulate the pig population of these countries in order to protect the U.S. pig industry. The widespread depopulation of the pigs illustrates the devastating impact that African Swine Fever can have on the pig industry and the U.S. economy.

Endemic Areas

Africa and Sardinia, Italy. The United States and Canada are considered free of this disease.

Clinical Signs

• Sudden death
• High fever
• Reddening of skin around ears, tail and abdomen
• Lethargy
• Anorexia
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Abortion

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for African Swine Fever. In the acute (sudden onset) form of the disease, the death rate can be as high as 100 percent. Any pig suspected of having African Swine Fever should be reported to State Veterinarians or the USDA Area Veterinarian in Charge immediately.

Prevention

The entry of African Swine Fever into the United States can be prevented by following basic farm biosecurity procedures including quarantining pigs of unknown health status and feeding only properly processed food (scraps should be boiled for 30 minutes to kill viruses and bacteria).

There is no vaccine for African Swine Fever.

Public Health

African Swine Fever is not a public health threat.

Links

OIE-African Swine Fever

Iowa State University-African Swine Fever

APHIS-African Swine Fever Brochure

DEFRA-African Swine Fever Photos