Also known as hog cholera, classical swine fever (CSF) is a highly contagious disease of pigs and wild boar. Pigs can become infected with the virus after eating contaminated food, or through direct contact with infected pigs or contaminated material.
CSF can be either mild or severe and acute infections are often fatal to animals. Milder strains can be hard to diagnose, and signs may vary with the virulence of the strain and the age and vulnerability of the pigs. Symptoms of the acute form of the disease may include fever, anorexia, lethargy and skin lesions.