2. INTRODUCTION
• Synonym- Hog cholera, European swine fever.
• It is the highly contagious viral disease of pigs of all
ages, characterized by rapid and sudden onset, high
mortality and morbidity with generalized
hemorrhages of internal organs.
• swine fever is the most important viral disease in
swine production.
3. ETIOLOGY
• This disease is caused by pantropic RNA virus
belonging to the genus Pesti virus, family
Flaviviridae.
• The virus is closely related to Bovine viral
diarrhea virus.
4. CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS
• Incubation period is 3-8 days
• The disease may appear in three clinical forms
• Per acute form
– Most commonly noticed in young pigs
– Disease terminates fatally within about 24 hours of
developing disease
– No appreciable clinical manifestations except high
raise of temperature and erythematous patches in
the non-hairy parts of the skin
5. • Acute form
– Sharp rise of body temperature. Temperature reaction
may persist up to 8th day or till death
– Dullness, depression, anorexia, vomition,
constipation, severe foul smelling diarrhoea,
dehydration and loss of body weight
– Hyperemia of the skin with purplish discoloration of
snout, ears, abdomen, inner side of the legs, a peculiar
blotching effect on the ears, small areas vesicular
lesions followed by necrotic lesions on the edges of
the ears, tail, lips and vulva
– Mucopurulent to purulent discharges from eyes with
signs of conjunctivitis
6. – Severely affected pigs may suck urine and water
due to obvious temperature reaction and
dehydration
– Central nervous system may be affected. The signs
are wobbling gait, ataxia, tremor, convulsion,
paralysis, circling, tremor and coma
– Reproductive disorders in sows due to low virulent
strain with signs of fever and birth of mummified,
still birth, abnormal piglets
• Chronic form
– Chronic diarrhea
– Chronic pneumonia
7. PM LESIONS
• Degeneration of small blood vessels leading to
hemorrhages in kidney, bladder, skin and
lymph nodes
• Circular or oval raised button ulcers are most
prevalent in caecum and proximal portion of
the colon
• Turkey egg appearance of kidney is the
pathognomonic lesion of the disease.
8. Larynx of pig with swine fever, note
hemorrhaging (red and dark black areas)
12. DIAGNOSIS
• Based on characteristic symptom and lesions
• Samples to be collected-Nasal, ocular discharges, blood, spleen,
lymph nodes, lungs, and liver
• Virus isolation can be carried out in porcine cell lines using
homogenates of spleen and tonsil.
• The cultures are examined for virus growth by
immunofluorescence or immunoperoxidase staining; positive
isolates are further characterized by the use of monoclonal
antibodies and by partial genetic sequencing.
• Polymerase chain reaction protocols for the identification of CSFV
nucleic acid have now gained international acceptance and are
being used in several laboratories, both for detection of the agent
and differentiation from ruminant pestiviruses.
• Antigen-capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays ( ELISAs )
are also useful for herd screening, but should not be used on a
single animal basis.
• Serological tests - VNT, ELISA
14. TREATMENT, PREVENTION AND
CONTROL
• No specific treatment. Prohibit the feeding of uncooked
garbage to pigs
• Hyperimmune serum is the only treatment which may have
value in the very early stages of disease if given at the dose
level of 50-150 ml per animal.
• If hyperimmune serum is given to the incontact animals it
gives better protection
• Simultaneous method of vaccination : simultaneous
adminstration of hyperimmune serum along with
vaccination with virulent swine fever virus
• Vaccinate the pigs after six months of age with attenuated
live virus vaccines or inactivated vaccines then annual
revaccination to be done
