Hog cholera/swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of swine that occurs in an acute, a subacute, a chronic, or a persistent form. In the acute form, the disease is characterized by high fever, severe depression, multiple superficial and internal hemorrhages, and high morbidity and mortality. In the chronic form, the signs of depression, anorexia, and fever are less severe than in the acute form, and recovery is occasionally seen in mature animals. Transplacental infection with viral strains of low virulence often results in persistently infected piglets, which constitute a major cause of virus dissemination to noninfected farms.

For additional information:

• OIE (Office International des Epizooties)/World Organization for Animal Health
• The Gray Book of Foreign Animal Diseases
• Information from The Pigsite Web site (In-Depth Article Requires Free Registration)
• The FreeDictionary.com (Contains Links to Other Sites/Definitions)
• USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) (Research Project:Detection and Diagnosis of Hog Cholera)
• USDA ARS Timeline: Eradicating Hog Cholera