African Swine Fever, the forgotten pandemic

Abstract

African Swine Fever (ASF) is one of the most important diseases prevalent in swine populations. In recent times, it has devasted the pork industry-both commercial and backyard-throughout much of the world. ASF virus (ASFV) is highly contagious, and its persistence in pig meat, feed, fomites and the environment has facilitated its transboundary spread. Despite the global spread and impact of ASF, this pandemic has not garnered the widespread attention or alarm that has human diseases. Outside of the animal health community, in many respects it is the forgotten pandemic.One hundred years ago, the first scientific publication on "a form of swine fever" (to later be called African Swine Fever) that was being observed in East Africa was published by R. Eustace Montgomery. As Penrith et al. (2021) describe in this Special Issue, remarkably the key findings made by Montgomery have since been verified, and they state that "one hundred years after the discovery, the world is still grappling with the ASF virus . . . the struggle continues on all fronts".

African swine fever in the Dominican Republic

“…There seems to be some heterogeneity in the clinical manifestation of the disease. Certain diseases that are prevalent in the country, such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), may With the identification of ASFv in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the disease is now prevalent in four continents, which is consistent with the definition of a pandemic (Morens et al, 2009;Porta, 2008;Ward et al, 2021). Most importantly, this report renews and enhances concerns about the current status of the disease and the risk for further spread in the region.…”

Vaccination With a Gamma Irradiation-Inactivated African Swine Fever Virus Is Safe But Does Not Protect Against a Challenge

“…The current ASF pandemic endangers animal health and all branches of global pig industry ( 24 ). In the absence of vaccines or treatment options, controlling ASF is proving nearly impossible in many regions of the world ( 25 ), and research towards vaccines has been intensified.…”

Adaptive Cellular Immunity against African Swine Fever Virus Infections

“…Over the past few years, African swine fever (ASF) has steadily increased in importance, and its spread has reached pandemic proportions [1]. In addition to Africa, where the virus has its roots in a sylvatic cycle involving warthogs and soft ticks [2], many countries in Europe and Asia are now affected, and recently the first countries in the Americas have also reported outbreaks (OIE WAHIS web interface, visited 5 January 2022).…”