# 2003/422/EC: Commission Decision of 26 May 2003 approving an African swine fever diagnostic manual (Text with EEA relevance) (notified under document number C(2003) 1696), Division 1

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

The development of high fever (more than 40 °C) is usually the first clinical sign of the disease, which is accompanied by depression, loss of appetite, rapid and difficult breathing, and discharges from the nose and eyes. Pigs show uncoordinated movements and huddle together. Sows may abort at all stages of pregnancy. Some pigs may show vomiting and constipation, while others may develop bloody diarrhoea. Congested or haemorrhagic subcutaneous areas become evident, in particular at the extremities and ears. A coma may develop before death, which occurs one to seven days after development of clinical signs. The morbidity and mortality rate within a holding may be 100 %.
Post-mortem findings indicate a typical haemorrhagic syndrome, with generalised congestion of the carcase, bloody fluid in the chest and abdominal cavities, enlarged dark spleen, haemorrhagic lymph nodes which resemble blood clots, especially renal and gastrohepatic lymph nodes, petechial haemorrhages in the kidneys (cortical and medullary pyramids and renal pelvis), abdominal serosae, gastric and intestinal mucosa and heart (epicardium and endocardium), hydrothorax and petechial haemorrhages of the pleura.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2003/422/annex/chapter/II/division/B/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2003-422/annex/chapter-II/division-B/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.