Pigs with ASFV also develop hypovolemia?
Do pigs with African Swine Fever develop hypovolemia?
Pigs infected with African Swine Fever (ASF) commonly develop clinical signs and pathological changes highly suggestive of hypovolemia, particularly due to the disease’s severe hemorrhagic and vascular effects.
ASF causes widespread hemorrhages and vascular damage. Typical findings include petechial (pinpoint) hemorrhages in the kidneys, severe hemorrhagic lymphadenitis, pulmonary and gall bladder edema, and effusions (straw-colored or blood-stained fluid) in the pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal cavities.
These extensive hemorrhages and vascular leakages can lead to a significant loss of blood volume, resulting in classic features of hypovolemic shock—such as weakness, recumbency, prostration, incoordination, pale mucous membranes, and death from shock.
The underlying mechanism is severe disruption of blood vessels and disseminated intravascular coagulation caused by ASFV, which allows plasma and sometimes blood to leak out of the vasculature; the resulting hypovolemia is a major contributor to the rapid fatality seen in acute and peracute cases.
Additional features supporting hypovolemia in ASF-infected pigs include:
Excessive fluid losses into body cavities (ascites, hydrothorax, hydropericardium).
Clinical signs of circulatory collapse, such as coma due either to hemorrhagic shock or excessive fluid in the lungs shortly before death.
While not all references specifically use the term hypovolemia, the combination of acute hemorrhagic shock, severe fluid loss, and consistent findings of vascular leakage and blood loss directly support the development of hypovolemia in pigs with African Swine Fever, especially in acute and peracute infections.
In summary: Yes, pigs with African Swine Fever frequently develop hypovolemia as a consequence of devastating hemorrhagic and vascular effects of the virus, which is a major factor in the high mortality associated with ASF.
