- Hello Jeff - ProMed also picked up on what I was saying
about African Swine Fever in China. Finally, someone brings it up.
-
- The symptoms in Guangdong, not just this year but last
as well, were ebola-like. African Swine Fever does have hemorrhagic symptoms.
China would not want to admit ASF because they would then not have an
ASF-free status. Their pork products would be taboo to the rest of the
world and the US. So, instead we hear last year Strep Suis and this year
Reprod. and Respiratory syndrome aka porcine high fever disease. Funny
though Hong Kong claims Strep susi. Makes me think coinfection with the
real culprit African Swine Fever. I also remember human deaths which could
mean a tweaking of the virus took place. I don't know of any cases of
'natural' African Swine Fever affecting humans.
-
- In any event, someone else is thinking out loud, like
myself.
-
- Patty
-
- UNDIAGNOSED DISEASE, PORCINE - CHINA
-
- A ProMED-mail post
- ProMED-mail is a program of the
- International Society for Infectious Diseases
-
- From: Peter Roeder
-
- Porcine Reproduction & Respiratory Syndrome - China
(Guangdong)
-
- I wonder if anyone has included African swine fever (ASF)
in diagnostic investigations of the syndrome. It is not only clinically
and pathologically virtually indistinguishable from classical swine fever
but has a demonstrated record of ability to spread globally. China has
a strong and increasing presence in Africa where the disease is widespread
and it is not beyond the realm of possibility that a returning worker could
have brought back some infected pork as happened in Belgium some years
ago.
-
- Communicated by:
- Dr Peter Roeder, BVetMed, MSc, PhD, MRCVS
- Animal Health Officer (Virology) and GREP Secretary
- Animal Health Service
- Animal Production and Health Division
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Rome, Italy
-
- The disease, which obtained in China the name "High
fever disease" since its 1st known detection in mid-2006, was initially
attributed to a mix infection of PRRS, classical swine fever (CSF) and
porcine circovirus (PCV-2), and probably additional agents; see China's
notification to the OIE of 14 Sep 2006, included in posting 20060924.2732.
According to the recent Chinese notification to the OIE of 9 May 2007,
a similar syndrome in Guandong was "probably caused by highly pathogenic
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus" while
"laboratory diagnosis was ongoing". ProMED-mail commented that
the apparent case fatality rate (20 percent) hardly fits the description
"sub-clinical" used in the notification, and underlined the need
for additional data on the PRRS virus, currently circulating in vast areas
of China and Vietnam, and for the exclusion of other disease agents such
as avian influenza and classical swine fever (CSF); see commentary in archived
20070514.1533.
-
- Dr. Roeder's suggestion to include ASF virus in the diagnostic
investigations of the syndrome is justified, particularly since the "High
fever disease," according to unofficial sources, has been observed
during the past several months in more than 7 provinces of China killing
more than 20 million pigs, while the official OIE notification of 9 May
2007 referred to one province (Guandong).
-
- For details on Belgium's ASF outbreak in 1985, see Mod
PC's commentary in posting Classical Swine Fever (CSF) - Europe 19970219.0406.
- Mod.AS.
-
- Patricia A. Doyle DVM, PhD
- Bus Admin, Tropical Agricultural Economics
- Univ of West Indies
-
- Please visit my "Emerging Diseases" message
board at:
- http://www.emergingdisease.org/phpbb/index.php
- Also my new website:
- http://drpdoyle.tripod.com/
- Zhan le Devlesa tai sastimasa
- Go with God and in Good Health
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