African swine fever circulating in Europe linked to earlier introduction, not new outbreak– phys.org
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A study in Genome Biology and Evolution finds that the African Swine Fever virus, currently circulating in Europe, is not the result of a recent introduction. Instead, the virus has been present in the region since 2007. Its current dramatic spread appears to be driven largely by people within Europe traveling longer distances. The paper is titled “Exploiting viral DNA genomes to explore the dispersal history of African swine fever genotype II lineages in Europe.”
African Swine Fever virus is a highly virulent DNA virus that causes a severe hemorrhagic disease of the same name, affecting both domestic pigs and wild boars. The disease is characterized by high mortality rates, leading to significant economic losses in the pork industry.
According to estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization, the virus has led to approximately $2.1 billion in direct economic losses over the past 17 years. Additionally, the outbreak has destroyed many small and medium-sized farms, contributing to structural transformations in agricultural markets, notably in China. Currently, there is no vaccine against the virus available widely.