African Swine Fever Virus in Nature

Abstract

Thus far, natural infections with ASFV have been found only in porcine species and ticks of the genus Ornithodoros. In Africa, the virus has been recovered many times from warthogs (Phacochoerus aethiopicus) and bush pigs (Potamochoerus porcus), and they have also been infected experimentally (1, 2, 3). A single isolation was made from a giant forest hog (Hylochoerus meinerizhageni) (4), and isolations from a hippopotamus (3) and a porcupine and hyena have also been claimed (5), but these findings have not been confirmed by additional isolations, nor have these species been infected experimentally.