African swine fever: Etiology, epidemiological status in Korea, and perspective on control

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF), caused by the ASF virus, a member of the Asfarviridae family, is one of the most important diseases in the swine industry due to its clinical and economic impacts. Since the first report of ASF a century ago, ample information has become available, but prevention and treatment measures are still inadequate. Two waves of epizootic outbreaks have occurred worldwide. While the first wave of the epizootic outbreak was controlled in most of the infected areas, the second wave is currently active in the European and Asian continents, causing severe economic losses to the pig industry. There are different patterns of spreading in the outbreaks between those in European and Asian countries. Prevention and control of ASF are very difficult due to the lack of available vaccines and effective therapeutic measures. However, recent outbreaks in South Korea have been successfully controlled on swine farms, although feral pigs are periodically being found to be positive for the ASF virus. Therefore, we would like to share our story regarding the preparation and application of control measures. The success in controlling ASF on farms in South Korea is largely due to the awareness and education of swine farmers and practitioners, the early detection of infected animals, the implementation of strict control policies by the government, and widespread sharing of information among stakeholders. Based on the experience gained from the outbreaks in South Korea, this review describes the current understanding of the ASF virus and its pathogenic mechanisms, epidemiology, and control.

Comparative Pathology of Domestic Pigs and Wild Boar Infected with the Moderately Virulent African Swine Fever Virus Strain “Estonia 2014”

“…In 2007, ASF was introduced into Georgia and has then become a large-scale epidemic involving different European countries [ 3 ]. In 2018, the disease was detected in East Asia where it is progressively spreading [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Natural oil blend formulation as an anti-African swine fever virus agent in in vitro primary porcine alveolar macrophage culture

“…Eucalyptus oil has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory effects. The pre-clinical results also show that eucalyptus oil stimulates the innate cell-mediated immune response by its effects on the phagocytic ability of human MDMs [31][32][33][34][35][36][37]. Cineole present in eucalyptus oil shows potential antiviral activity against herpesvirus and yellow fever virus.…”

Control measures to African swine fever outbreak: Active response in South Korea, preparation for the future, and cooperation

“…After its introduction to Georgia in 2007, Genotype II ASFV is currently circulating in Europe and Asia [ 5 ]. The etiology and epidemiology for ASFV in Korea have recently been reviewed in detail [ 16 ].…”