DiseaseAfrican Swine Fever, a OIE list A disease, is highly contagious in domestic pigs with a wide range of clinical forms varying from hyper/acute to chronic or unapparent. The incubation period varies between 5 and 15 days. ASF has a high morbidity rate (= percentage of infected swine population becoming ill) and high mortality rate. There is a lack of specific treatment or vaccine. Therefore, disease control is based on stamping out and implementation of rigorous sanitary measures.
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Haemorrhagic renal lymph node and kidney with haemorrhages |
Typical autopsy findings are petechial (pinpoint) haemorrhages, especially in the cortex, medulla and pelvis of the kidneys, the mucous membranes of the larynx and bladder, and on visceral surfaces of organs. Lymph nodes are enlarged and haemorrhages may be seen in the gastrohepatic and renal lymph nodes. Blood splashes (ecchymoses) may be present in the skin of the legs or abdomen. The spleen is often enlarged and there can be excess fluid in the abdominal, pleural and pericardial cavities. Oedema of the gall bladder and mesentery of the colon is also quite typical of ASF. In chronic cases, lungs may show focal lesions of caseous necrosis and even mineralisation. |
