Do Pigs That Have Recovered from African Swine Fever Have Antibodies?

African swine fever has a very large impact on the growth of pigs, and for farmers it causes huge losses. Some farms where African swine fever has occurred still have surviving pigs, so do pigs that have had African swine fever have antibodies?

Although pigs that have had African swine fever will have antibodies, the immunity does not last long, and recovered pigs are also very likely to be virus carriers. This is because the virus is extremely resistant and can survive in very harsh environments; besides live pigs, it can also reproduce in mosquitoes and ticks. Whenever there is a new opportunity for transmission, it will pass the virus on to other live pigs, causing new outbreaks, and bringing great safety risks to the pigs themselves and to nearby farms, so even if this situation really does occur, it is not advisable to continue raising them.

African swine fever is a malignant infectious disease with high fever, acute onset and a high mortality rate. Depending on the virus strain, the incidence rate is usually between 40% and 85%, and the mortality rate varies with the strain of infection. The mortality rate of highly pathogenic strains can reach as high as 90-; for moderately pathogenic strains, the mortality rate is between 20% and 40% in adult animals and between 70% and 80% in young animals; for low pathogenic strains, the mortality rate is between 3% and 30%. At present, according to data on strains isolated in China, it is a highly pathogenic strain, the same as the strain that broke out in Russia.

After unexplained deaths of live pigs occur on a farm, the main approach at present is for farmers to report it on their own initiative. After the relevant departments receive the report, they will rush to the farm in question at the first opportunity to take samples for inspection and quarantine, and after confirming the epidemic, report it to the relevant provincial departments or relevant national departments for release of information about the epidemic.

If unexplained deaths occur among live pigs, it is essential to report it to the relevant departments in a timely manner, because this is the only way to reduce losses. If you do not report it in time and in the end all the pigs on the farm are wiped out, as an ordinary farmer you really cannot afford this loss. In addition, there is very strict disinfection work afterward, and the use of various chemicals requires a large amount of funds. Some hidden places are easily overlooked by us. If you restock without thorough disinfection, it is very likely to cause another outbreak, ultimately harming both others and yourself.

For pigs that have had African swine fever, do not assume that because they have antibodies you can continue raising them, otherwise you will lose more than you gain.