Classical Swine Fever

Classical Swine Fever (CSF) is a viral disease of pigs and wild boar which is often fatal. In countries where the disease is present, CSF causes severe economic losses, threatens food security and safe trade, and presents significant challenges to pig production.

CSF is a notifiable disease, which means that any suspected case of CSF must be reported to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine without delay.

The disease is also known as Hog Cholera or pig plague (Schweinepest).

CSF is unrelated to African Swine Fever but affected pigs show very similar clinical signs. Further information on African Swine Fever.

CSF affects all members of the pig family (Suidae), including domestic pigs and wild boar. CSF does not affect humans.

Ireland is CSF free. The last reported case of CSF in Ireland occurred in 1958.

CSF is found in Central and South America, Asia, and, in parts of Africa and Europe (non-EU). The EU, North America, Australia and New Zealand are currently CSF free.

CSF was last reported in the EU in Latvia in 2015. In the 1990s, large CSF outbreaks were reported in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Italy.

The virus does not affect humans or animal species other than pigs. Meat from pigs does not pose any food safety risk.

CSF should not be confused with Swine Influenza (Swine flu) which is caused by a different virus.

CSF can be spread in several different ways.

Spread of the virus can be through direct contact of pigs with infected pigs or their bodily fluids or through indirect contact through feeding food waste containing contaminated pork or pork products. The virus can also be spread when pigs come into contact with materials contaminated with virus, for example: clothing, footwear, equipment, vehicles.

The virus can survive for months or even years in pork and pork products including cured meats, hams, sausages and salamis. In Ireland, infection through feeding food waste containing contaminated pork or pork products is the most likely method of introducing the virus.

Remember, it is illegal to feed food waste containing meat to farm animals as it can spread CSF as well as other diseases such as African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease

CSF occurs in several different forms, which include acute, chronic, congenital and mild. The acute form of CSF appears within 3–7 days of infection, with death occurring in up to 100% of animals within 10 days of onset of infection. Milder forms of the disease can be associated with less severe and non-specific signs.

CSF causes a wide range of clinical signs, which may include:

• high temperature (41°C)
• dullness
• inappetence
• reddening of the skin
• blue discoloration of extremities
• haemorrhages
• vomiting
• constipation followed by diarrhoea and /or vomiting
• sudden death
• abortion in pregnant pigs

Information leaflets

CSF is a notifiable disease, which means that any suspected case of CSF must be reported to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine without delay.

To report a suspected case of CSF, contact your local Regional Veterinary Office or the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026 (outside of office hours).

Pig owners and members of the public can play their part in protecting pig health by taking the following precautions.

Never feed food waste (swill) to livestock, including pigs. It is illegal to feed food waste which contains meat products or has been in contact with meat products to pigs. Feeding of meat products to pigs can lead to outbreaks of diseases such as CSF, African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth disease. See the guidance document below for details on what may and may not be fed to pigs.

Always use a secure bin to dispose of waste food, so that it cannot be accessed by farm animals, wild animals or wild birds.

Do not bring meat or meat products onto Irish pig farms.

Do not bring meat products into Ireland from outside the EU.

If you have been in contact with pigs in a region affected by CSF you should not visit any pig premises in Ireland for a minimum of 72 hours.

It is vital that everybody plays their part to keep Classical Swine Fever out of Ireland for the sake of our pigs, our pig farmers and our Agri-food Industry.

International hauliers, especially those who transport livestock, should be aware of biosecurity measures they should take if travelling to or through CSF or ASF affected regions.

Hunters travelling to countries affected by CSF should follow biosecurity advice to prevent introduction of the virus.

Biosecurity is the combination of all measures, whether physical or through management, taken to reduce the risk of introduction and spread of diseases. Biosecurity is the basis of all disease control programs, as improved biosecurity will result in lower rates of disease overall. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to biosecurity as the circumstances of each farm or premises are unique. Therefore, biosecurity measures must be tailored to each individual setting.

Biosecurity is about preventing disease from getting into a premises but also in the event of an outbreak, minimising spread within a premises and ensuring that disease doesn’t get out to infect other pigs.

Biosecurity does not have to be expensive. Small changes can have a large impact, for example: disinfection points for boots at the entrance/exits to all pig housing, wearing clean overalls and footwear when entering pig houses, handwashing.

The best protection for your herd against pig diseases, is a strong biosecurity policy. Good biosecurity improves overall herd health and productivity by helping to keep out disease. In the event of an outbreak, it also limits the spread of disease within and off your premises.

More information can be found on Biosecurity in the documents below:

Anyone who keeps pigs in Ireland (even 1 or 2 pigs as pets) must register their premises with DAFM. This is a legal requirement.

Registering your premises and herd details is important, as it enables the department to contact you, where necessary, with information on pig health and welfare in the event of a disease threat such as CSF.

Learn more about pig registration and how to do it. Alternatively, you can contact your Regional Veterinary Office (RVO)

An outbreak of CSF would have a devastating effect on Irish pigs, as well as the wider pig industry here as it would impact on Ireland’s ability to export live pigs and pig products to other countries.

In the event of an outbreak of CSF in Ireland, measures would be introduced by DAFM to control and eradicate the disease. These measures would include for example, the culling of pigs on the affected premises and the establishment of restriction zones (a 3 kilometre protection zone and a 10 kilometre surveillance zone) surrounding the affected premises where additional controls would be implemented for the movement of pigs, pig products and so on. Additional surveillance would also be carried out to monitor for any potential spread of the disease.

See below useful links for more information on Classical Swine fever and its control.

• European Commission DG SANCO - Disease Information and Control Plans: Classical Swine Fever - European Commission
• World Organisation for Animal Health (formerly OIE): Disease Information Card
• World Organisation for Animal Health (formerly OIE): Classical Swine Fever webpage
• Center for Food Security and Public Health at Iowa State University, College of Veterinary Medicine - CSF Technical Factsheet