Swine fever (CSF), also known as hog cholera was officially confirmed in Albania.

The Ministry of Agriculture informed through a statement Friday that cases with this disease were confirmed in a farm in Lezha.

Immediately, according to the Ministry were taken all the measures isolating the area and preventing further spread.

Ministry ordered the isolation of the farm and banned the trade of pig's meat in the market in Lezha municipality.

Swine fever is a contagious viral disease of domestic and wild swine. It is caused by a virus of the genus Pestivirus of the family Flaviviridae, which is closely related to the viruses that cause bovine viral diarrhoea in cattle and border disease in sheep. There is only one serotype of CSF virus (CSFV). CSF is a disease listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) Terrestrial Animal Health Code and must be reported to the WOAH (WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code).

The most common method of transmission is through direct contact between healthy swine and those infected with CSF virus. The virus is shed in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, and feces. Contact with contaminated vehicles, pens, feed, or clothing may spread the disease. Animals that are chronic carriers of the disease (persistently infected) may show no clinical signs of illness but may shed the virus in their feces. Offspring of infected sows can become infected in the uterus, and can shed the virus for months.

CSF virus can survive in pork and processed pork products for months when meat is refrigerated and for years when it is frozen. Pigs can become infected by eating CSF-infected pork meat or products.

It has been proven that in parts of Europe, the wild boar population may play a role in the epidemiology of the disease.

The disease has been spread through legal and illegal transport of animals, and by feeding swill containing infective tissues to pigs.