AHP Disease Manual

Disease List
Terms
Avian
Bees
Bovine
Canine & Feline
Equine
Multiple Species
Ovine and Caprine
Porcine
A120 - AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
B253 - BRUCELLOSIS (PORCINE)
A130 - CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER (HOG CHOLERA)
ENZOOTIC PNEUMONIA OF PIGS
HAEMAGGLUTINATING ENCEPHALOMYELITIS VIRUS
Nipah Virus Infection
B252 - PORCINE CYSTICERCOSIS
PORCINE PARVOVIRUS
B257 - PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND RESPIRATORY SYNDROME
SWINE INFLUENZA
A030 - SWINE VESICULAR DISEASE
B256 - ENTEROVIRUS ENCEPHALOMYELITIS
B254 - TRANSMISSIBLE GASTROENTERITIS
Specimen Collection

A130 - CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER (HOG

CHOLERA)

A130 - CLASSICAL SWINE FEVER (HOG

CHOLERA)
Nature of the disease
Classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs caused by
a Pestivirus from the Flaviviridae familly. Clinically, it is indistinguishable from African swine
fever and can cause very serious losses.
Classification

OIE List A disease

Susceptible species
Pigs, both domestic (Sus scrofa domesticus) and wild (Sus scrofa scrofa), are the only natural
hosts.
Distribution
CSF is present in Europe, east and central Africa, Mexico, other central American countries,
most of South America. It is also very present in the Indian sub-continent, China, east and south
east Asia, (Korea, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam).

In the region, the disease has been recorded in Australia (eliminated since 1962), French
Polynesia (eliminated since 1972), New Zealand (eliminated since 1953) Northern Mariana
(eliminated since 1968). These outbreaks resulted from imported pig meat or food refuse from
ships being swill fed to pigs.
Clinical signs
CSF is highly
variable according
to the virulence of
the strain, the
disease can vary
from a peracute to
a mild form.

Peracute form

 Death
within 24-
48 hours
preceded
by lethargy,
 Mortality can reach 100%

Acute form

 Fever up to 41°C,
 Anorexia and lethargy,
 Hyperaemia and cyanosis (seen as reddening) of the extremities, particularly the snout
and ears,
 Unwillingness to stand,
 Convulsions,
 Huddling together,
  Vomiting,
 Constipation followed by diarrhoea,
 Discharges from the eyes and nose,
 Abortions,
 Mortality rates of up to 100% in young pigs.

Subacute form

 Signs as above but not so severe,

 Fluctuating fever,
 Mortality rate lower.

Chronic form

 Fever,
 Failure to thrive,
 Diarrhoea,
 Coughing and difficulty breathing,
 Skin problems,
 Deaths may result from secondary infections,
 Abortion,

Congenital form

 Congenital tremor, weakness,

 Runting, poor growth,
 Persistent viremia without any disease or antibody response.

Post-mortem findings 
In peracute cases there may be little to be seen at post-mortem. In the acute form the following
may be seen:
  Enlarged and haemorrhagic lymph nodes,
 Enlarged and necrotic tonsils with pin point haemorrhages,
 Petechiae and ecchymoses on the skin,
 Haemorrhages in body organs especially kidney, heart , bladder, lung and gall bladder,
 Oedema of the lungs,
 Fluid in body cavities,
 encephalomyeletis with perivascular cuffing.

In the subacute form, findings are more variable

 Lymph node and kidney haemorrhagic,

 Consolidation of lungs,
 Haemorrhages of intestinal mucosa,

In chronic form:

 Enlarged lymph nodes,

 Atrophy of the thymus,
 Inflammation around the heart and lining of the chest cavity,
 Consolidation of the lungs
 Poor body condition
 Small (button) ulcers in the large intestine
 Secondary pneumonia and enteritis common.

Differential diagnosis
 African swine fever (cannot be clinically ditinguished)
 Salmonellosis
 Erysipelas
 Pasteurellosis
  Other viral encephalomyeletis
 Thrombocytopaenia purpura
 Warfarin poisoning

Specimens required for diagnosis

Virus identification can be done by fluorescent antibody test, isolation in cell culture and RT-
PCR. Appropriate samples include whole blood in EDTA or heparin. Fresh tissues from dead
recently animals, the best choice is tonsils but spleen, lymph nodes, lung, kidney and live can be
used.

Serological diagnostic tests prescribed by OIE for international trade include fluorescent
antibody neutralisation test, neutralising peroxydase-linked assay and ELISA. Serum can be
collected from recovered animals, sows with suspected congenitally infected litters and pigs
under surveillance.
Transmission
CSF can be transmitted by direct contact with infected pigs or by ingestion of products from
infected pigs.

Movement of infected pigs is the most important method of spread of the disease. Pigs can shed
virus before showing clinical signs, while some animals can become chronic carriers i.e.
continue to shed virus after they have apparently recovered, congenitally infected pigs are also a
source of infection.

CSF virus can survive for long periods in pork and processed pork products — for months when
meat is stored chilled, or years when it is frozen. In ham the virus can survive for up to 4
months. Infected swills are a common source of infection.

The virus can also be transmitted between herds by farmers, veterinarians, inseminators, etc
through the use of contaminated instruments, trucks, and possibly contaminated clothing and
footwear. Other animals such as pets or birds can also mechanically transmit the disease.

Sexual transmission is possible and there is a risk of transmission with artificial insemination.
Risk of introduction
Provide appropriate quarantine controls are applied to the import of live pigs and semen these
should not be a threat.

Pig meat products introduced legally or illegally and ships garbage from infected countries are
the most likely source of introduction of CSF to a Pacific Island country.
Control / vaccines
There is no treatment for CSF.

Efficient modified live vaccines are commercially available. However they may not be
compatible with eradication, since it is difficult to differentiate post-vaccine antibodies from
wild virus antibodies. A recombinant CSF vaccine (known as marker vaccine) has been develop
that allows antibodies differentiation.

A number of countries have successfully eradicated CSF using a slaughter policy.

This is done by depopulation of infected piggery, with proper destruction of carcases, quarantine
and movement restriction in affected area, disinfection of premises, material and clothes with
5% Cresylic acid and sterilisation of swills.
References
 GANIERE JP (2001), La Peste porcine classique In Cours de Maladies Réputées
Contagieuses des Suidés, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes, p.13-19
 Hog cholera, In Merck Veterinary Manual, National Publishing Inc. Eight ed, 1998,
Philadelphia, p 509-512
 Swine Fever, In Veterinary Medicine, Saunders, Eight ed, 1997, London p. 927-935
 Office International des Epizooties, 2002
 Van Oirschot (1999), Classical Swine Fever, In Diseases of Swine, Iowa state University
Press, Ames, Iowa, USA, p. 159-172

« Previous | Next »