Agraarteadus (Dec 2016)
Review: African swine fever (Pestis Africana Suum)
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is one of the most devastating diseases that affect domestic pig and wild boar. The causative agent of ASF is African swine fever virus (ASFV) that is the sole member of the genus Asfivirus and the family Asfarviridae. The virus is a large icosahedral double-stranded DNA virus in length 170-193 kb depending on the isolate. Both clinical signs and pathological changes may vary considerably depending on strain virulence, virus dose and host factors. Epidemiology of ASF is very complex especially in Africa and Southern Europe, where soft tick and wild pig species are involved to the transmission cycles. In Eastern Europe ASF was first diagnosed in Georgia in April 2007, after what it spread fast to several neighbouring countries in Transcaucasia region and the Russian Federation, where it is still circulating and is now endemic. In 2012, ASFV was reported in Ukraine, in 2013 in Belarus and in 2014, in European Union countries, including Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The spread of the virus among wild boar in Estonia in period from September 2014 to March 2016 has been comprehensive including 12 counties out of 15. During the same period in total 18 outbreaks has been occurred in domestic pigs. For ASF no vaccine or treatment is available, therefore control of the disease based on early warning, early detection, effective control surveillance programs and stamping out in case of the outbreak. Currently is ASF a major threat to the pig industry in Europe.
