African swine fever, a devastating pig disease which causes major economic losses in many African countries, has spread to Georgia, south-east Europe. This incursion has serious consequences for Georgia and potentially surrounding countries. An increase in mortality amongst domestic pigs was observed in disease outbreaks in April but attempts to diagnose the cause were inconclusive.
On 2nd June samples from affected pigs were received by the Institute for Animal Health's Pirbright Laboratory. By the following day the Institute's scientists had identified the presence of African swine fever virus.
African swine fever virus is highly lethal to domestic pigs and has the potential to spread rapidly. As at early June, outbreaks had been reported at 10 sites distributed throughout Georgia, and 20,000 pigs had been slaughtered in attempts to contain the outbreak.
Dr Linda Dixon, Head of the African swine fever virus research Group at the Institute for Animal Health said "Our genetic fingerprinting indicates that the source of the infection is the eastern side of southern Africa, rather than west or central Africa or Sardinia."
African swine fever virus is spread by contact between pigs, by eating of infected pig meat, contamination of the environment and by biting flies. The virus also grows in a species of soft tick and, in areas where these are present, bites from infected ticks can spread virus to pigs.
There is no vaccine and no effective treatment.
The virus does not cause disease in humans.
This is the second emergence of an exotic disease in Europe within a year. Last summer bluetongue virus was introduced into northern Europe. It was then spread to ruminants e.g. cattle and sheep, in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands by biting midges. Genetic fingerprinting by scientists at the Institute for Animal Health identified the causative bluetongue virus as type 8, which had never previously been detected in Europe. These incursions again highlight the potential for movement of exotic disease over long distances and highlight the need for assistance to developing countries to monitor and control important infectious diseases.
