The African swine fever appears among pigs, warthogs, bush pigs, European wild boar and American wild pigs.
Transmission is made through direct contact between sick and healthy animals; indirect transmission happens through feeding with garbage containing infected meat, through fomites (premises, vehicles, implements, clothes) or through biologic vectors (soft ticks).
The sources of virus are blood, tissues, secretions and excretions of sick and dead animals, carrier animals (especially African wild swine and domestic pigs in enzootic areas) and soft ticks.
Prevention in free countries can be done through import controls, disposal of waste food from aircraft/ships coming from infected countries.
In infected areas, control is done through slaughtering of all pigs and destruction of cadavers and litter, cleaning and disinfection, designation of infected zone and control of pig movement, as well as epidemiological investigation (tracing of sources and possible spread of infection).
African swine fever is a OIE listed disease.
This means it is a transmissible disease that has the potential for very serious and rapid spread, irrespective of national borders, is of serious socio-economic or public health consequence and is of major importance in the international trade of animals and animal products.