Can African swine fever virus be killed by high temperatures?

African swine fever (abbreviated ASF) is an acute, hemorrhagic, highly virulent infectious disease of pigs caused by infection with the African swine fever virus. It is an animal disease subject to mandatory reporting to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), and our country lists it as a Class I animal disease. Domestic pigs and wild boars infected with the African swine fever virus (including sick pigs, recovered pigs and silently infected pigs) and soft ticks are the main sources of infection. So can high temperatures kill the African swine fever virus?

Yes. The African swine fever virus is relatively sensitive to high temperatures and can be inactivated by heating at 60°C for 20 minutes. The high-temperature meat products and low-temperature meat products currently sold on the market are all processed under conditions that can inactivate the virus. When cooking fresh (frozen) pork at home, the temperature is usually 90°C~100°C, making it even easier for the virus to lose its activity; it is enough to ensure sufficient cooking time. Everyone need not stop eating pork just because an African swine fever outbreak occurs in a certain place, and it is also unnecessary for cafeterias in some areas to suspend the supply of pork products.

In addition, most fat solvents and disinfectants can also destroy it. For our daily home cooking and processing, it is actually far more thorough than this, so as long as it is cooked reasonably and heated thoroughly, there will be no harmful factors to the body.

At the same time, experts from the provincial CDC also stated: regarding African swine fever, animal husbandry and veterinary departments at all levels have taken decisive and strict measures. Once an outbreak is detected, all pigs at the epidemic site and in the epidemic area will be immediately culled, harmless treatment will be carried out, and all pigs and their products will be prohibited from leaving the blockade zone.

Therefore, pork and products purchased through formal channels have all undergone quarantine inspection, and the public need not worry.