How Is African Swine Fever Transmitted? An Analysis of the Main Transmission Routes

We have mentioned African swine fever many times before, but some of the details may still be unfamiliar to everyone. For example, how is African swine fever transmitted? Let's take a look!

1. How African swine fever is transmitted

African swine fever can be transmitted through insect vectors and through body fluids. Feed, water sources, equipment, and even farm workers and clothing contaminated by the virus, as well as contaminated air near the farm, are all potential sources of infection.

2. What symptoms does African swine fever have?

The incubation period of the African swine fever virus is relatively short, usually around one week. The African swine fever virus can enter the pig's body through the mouth and upper respiratory tract system, causing infection in the nasopharynx or tonsils, and the virus rapidly spreads to the submandibular lymph nodes, then throughout the body via the lymph and blood. After the onset of the disease, infected pigs show symptoms such as high fever (40-42°C), loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, cyanosis and hemorrhage of the skin, and vomiting and diarrhea, and they die within one week after the onset of the disease, with a mortality rate of up to 100%.

3. Can African swine fever infect humans?

Pigs are the only natural host of the African swine fever virus. Apart from domestic pigs and wild boars, other animals are not infected by this virus. Although it is fatally dangerous to pigs, it is harmless to humans. It is a typical virus that infects pigs but not humans, and it has no direct impact on human health or food safety. Based on the current state of research, it is also unlikely to mutate and infect humans.