Classical swine fever

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Animal Health
• Disease Control

Background:

• Classical swine fever (CSF) is a significant transboundary animal disease impacting global pig production.
• Control strategies are established for domestic pigs, but challenges persist in backyard settings and high-density wild boar populations.
• Existing diagnostic methods and vaccines, including modified live vaccines (MLVs), are available but have limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the persistent challenges in controlling Classical Swine Fever (CSF) in specific pig populations.
• To highlight the need for advancements in diagnostic tools and vaccination strategies for CSF.
• To identify remaining gaps in the diagnosis and vaccination against CSF.

Main Methods:

• Review of current control strategies for Classical Swine Fever.
• Analysis of limitations in existing diagnostic methods and vaccines (MLVs).
• Exploration of efforts towards developing marker vaccines and accompanying serological tests.

Main Results:

• Conventional MLVs for CSF provide rapid immunity but do not differentiate between antibodies from vaccination and natural infection.
• Development of live marker vaccines is ongoing to overcome the limitations of conventional MLVs.
• Gaps in CSF diagnosis and vaccination strategies have been identified.

Conclusions:

• Effective control of Classical Swine Fever requires addressing challenges in backyard and wild boar populations.
• The development of marker vaccines is crucial for distinguishing between vaccinated and infected animals.
• Further research is needed to fill identified gaps in CSF diagnosis and vaccination.