African swine fever virus: risk factor of arthritis in growing pigs

Abstract

The growing pigs in a pig farm having history of ASF since 2019 were suffered with arthritis occurring mainly in the pigs at 6 - 8 weeks old, especially in the pigs at 8 weeks old, with a
culling rate was up to 30%. Using antibiotics to treat the disease pigs was not effective, the arthritis and culling rates were not improved. Meanwhile, the sows, and suckling piglets did not have the clinical manifestations related to the infectious diseases. The autopsy result showed that the infection pigs with arthritis carried the typical lesions of the ASF sub-acute and chronic forms and the samples were positive for PRRSV and ASFV tests in both pig groups at 6 and 8 weeks old. Based on the clinical characteristics, laboratory tests and epidemiological facts of ASF in Viet Nam and in the world, we can suspect that ASF virus is related to the arthritis in the growing pigs currently in Viet Nam.