Peste porcina africana: cada vez más cerca y complicada

Abstract

African swine fever is a haemorrhagic disease that affects domestic pigs and wild boar. The lack of a commercialised vaccine or an effective treatment has meant that control is based on early detection and application of strict sanitary and biosecurity measures. The most virulent strains cause an acule form of the disease in infected animals with a high lethality which can reach 100 %. However, in China, the recent circulation of low virulence strains causing chronic forms has seriously hampered early detection, posing a serious risk worldwide. At the present time, its progress is unstoppable, and it is already present in more than fifty countries on the five continents. This situation threatens the world swine industry, becoming more important the awareness of the pig sector and the development of a safe and effective vaccine, which, although closer, is not yet on the market.