African swine fever

noun

: swine fever sense 2

Word History

First Known Use

1935, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

African swine fever

noun

: an acute highly contagious usually fatal febrile disease that affects only swine (family Suidae), that resembles but is more severe than hog cholera, that is indigenous to Africa where wild swine (as the warthog and bushpig) act as natural reservoirs, that has spread to and caused epidemics in the western hemisphere, and that is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (species African swine fever virus of the genus Asfivirus, family Asfarviridae) having a capsid with icosahedral symmetry

called also swine fever