United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection ServiceProgram Aid 1614

African SwineFever:A ForeignThreat toU.S. Hogs

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race,color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex,marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexualorientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, orbecause all or part of an individual’s income is derived from anypublic assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply toall programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternativemeans for communication of program information (Braille, largeprint, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Centerat (202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint ofdiscrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights,1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 (voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD).USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.Photo credits: The larger image of healthy pigs on the coverwas taken by USDA–Agricultural Research Service photographer Keith Weller. The smaller cover shot comes from theAPHIS photo library. The source for images inside the leaflethas been given in captions wherever possible. Uncreditedimages are from the APHIS photo library.Revised March 2006

s?

es,

he



s

S.

e,

a

;

• Restricting movement of all livestock on your

premises if you suspect an outbreak; and

• Restricting movement of persons, vehicles, and

equipment to and from your premises until you arenotified of the diagnosis.

Report Suspicious CasesVeterinarians and livestock owners who suspect ananimal may have ASF or any other foreign animaldisease should immediately contact State or Federalanimal health officials.For more information, contactUSDA, APHIS, Veterinary ServicesEmergency Management4700 River Road, Unit 41Riverdale, MD 20737–1231Telephone (301) 734–8073Fax (301) 734–7817Current information on animal diseases and suspectedoutbreaks is also available on the Internet. To reach theAPHIS home page, point your Web browser to http://www.aphis.usda.gov and select the “Hot Issues” buttonfor outbreak information.

g,

nt,

elp

 of

o

n.)
Reddening of the ears is a typical sign of ASF.

ar

ya

 of

e



,

d

ve

f

ba

ore

e

me

the

s

re,

 20

Fifty percent or more of a herd affected with the subacute form of ASF may survive the acute phase of thedisease. However, survivors will carry the virus formonths.Infected animals may exhibit some or all of the followingclinical signs:

• Abortions;• Tendency to lie down;• Depression;• Discoloration—blotchy or diffuse redness—on ears,

 snout, tail, legs, abdomen, and flanks;

• Labored breathing;• Coughing;• Bloody diarrhea; and the• Tendency to bleed excessively.

What Are the Postmortem Signs?ASF produces lesions similar to those caused byclassical swine fever, salmonellosis, erysipelas, andvarious toxins. Edema (swelling), ascites (fluid in theabdominal cavity), enlarged spleen, and hemorrhage arethe most frequently observed signs.Hemorrhages, varying from small pinpoints of blood intissues to massive amounts of free blood, can be foundin almost any organ of the body. The organs affectedmost often are• Skin—reddening on ears, snout, abdomen, and

hindquarters;

• Lungs—hemorrhages plus edema and pneumonia;

Pigs infected with ASF often experience bloodydiarrhea. (APHIS photo by Karen Apicelli.) At necropsy, ASF-infected pigs often display an

enlarged spleen. (APHIS photo by Karen Apicelli.)The swelling around the kidneys and the musclehemorrhages shown here are typical of pigs with ASF.(APHIS photo by Karen Apicelli.)