Pathological and molecular diagnosis of the 2013 African swine fever outbreak in Lusaka, Zambia

Trop Anim Health Prod. 2015 Feb;47(2):459-63. doi: 10.1007/s11250-014-0732-0. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

Abstract

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and fatal hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic pigs. The disease is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and has repeatedly been introduced into other continents. The current study describes the diagnostic investigations of a hemorrhagic disease that was reported in pigs in Lusaka (October 2013), Zambia. Necropsy, histopathology, and molecular diagnosis using polymerase chain reaction and sequence analysis confirmed the disease to be ASF. The sequences obtained showed high similarity to previously isolated ASF viruses. Consistent surveillance and rapid diagnosis of the disease is recommended to prevent future outbreaks and economic losses as there is currently no vaccine against the disease.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • African Swine Fever / diagnosis
  • African Swine Fever / epidemiology*
  • African Swine Fever / microbiology
  • African Swine Fever Virus / genetics
  • African Swine Fever Virus / isolation & purification*
  • Animals
  • Disease Outbreaks / veterinary*
  • Female
  • Male
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • Pregnancy
  • Swine
  • Zambia / epidemiology