The Acheson Group
Disease Fact Sheets
African Swine Fever Fact Sheet
What is African Swine Fever?
African Swine Fever (AFS) causes hemorrhagic fever symptoms in wild and domestic pigs. It is very contagious, and mortality rates can be as high as 100% among pigs, but it does not infect humans and is not a food safety concern. First identified in the early 1900s, cases have spread more recently in China, other Asian countries and parts of Europe—emerging most recently in Asia in 2021. There is no treatment or vaccine, so the USDA closely monitors swine in the US to be ready to react if needed
Why Should I Care about African Swine Fever?
- Millions of pigs have been culled.
- $100s of billions in economic loss have resulted
- Swine producers are significantly impacted
- Since 2019 when cases arose in Asia and Europe, global pork output and demand for animal feed have dropped significantly
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
What Do I Do About African Swine Fever?
Biosecurity practices on farms must be implemented to prevent spread, including::
- Prevent wild pig access to domesticated pigs.
- Manage potential infectious materials – garbage, feed, contaminated fomites.
- Properly clean and disinfect farm tools, equipment, hands, shoes, etc.
- Isolate, then rapidly and humanely depopulate infected herds — as the virus can spread from live or dead pigs.
- Proactively manage swine imports from ASF-infected countries.
- Ensure proper pest management protocols are in place, as there is some evidence that a tick vector may spread the virus.
- For travelers returning from any ASF-infected country:
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• Do not bring back any pork products.
- • Following USDA-APHIS requirements, disinfect clothing/shoes that could have been infected.
- • Wait at least 5 days before visiting any facilities with pigs (e.g., farm, zoo, pet store).
