Unraveling the Armor of a Killer: Evasion of Host Defenses by African Swine Fever Virus

J Virol. 2017 Feb 28;91(6):e02338-16. doi: 10.1128/JVI.02338-16. Print 2017 Mar 15.

Abstract

African swine fever is an acute hemorrhagic disease of pigs. Extensive recent spread in the Russian Federation and Eastern Europe has increased the risk to global pig production. The virus is a large DNA virus and is the only member of the Asfarviridae family. In pigs, the virus replicates predominantly in macrophages. We review how the virus overcomes the barriers to replication in the macrophage and the virus mechanism to inhibit key host defense pathways.

Keywords: African swine fever; apoptosis; immune evasion; interferon; protein synthesis.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • African Swine Fever / pathology*
  • African Swine Fever Virus / immunology*
  • African Swine Fever Virus / pathogenicity*
  • Animals
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions*
  • Immune Evasion*
  • Immunity, Innate*
  • Macrophages / virology
  • Swine