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Indian Vet. J., August 2016, 93 (08) : 18 - 21
Patho-Morphological Study of Classical Swine Fever Incidence in Kerala, India
Litty Mathew, I.S. Sajitha1, Ajith Jacob George, M. Pradeep and N. Vijayan
Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,
Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala, India.673 576.
(Received : 23-04-2015;
Abstract
Out of the 50 pigs which were brought for post
mortem examination during the study period
of ve years (2006–2010), nine (18%) were
conrmed as swine fever. Gross and histo-
pathological lesions were attributed to vascular
changes as the virus is endotheliotropic and
lymphotropic. The lymphoid cell depletion
resulted in immunosuppression and contributed
to pathogenesis. CSF virus can inhibit apoptosis
and such apoptotic resistant infected endothe-
lial cell population lead to the presence of high
viral load in acute infections. The present report
describes the varied gross and histopathological
lesions of swine fever, which led to vascular and
immune dysfunction and death of these animals.
Key words: Classical Swine Fever, Pathology
Classical swine fever or Hog Cholera is a
highly contagious disease of swine caused by a
Pesti virus, a member of the family Flaviviridae
and manifested as acute, sub-acute, chronic,
atypical or inapparent course and Ofce Inter-
national des Epizooties classied this disease as
a List A disease (Quinn et al., 2002). The disease
is endemic in India (Nandi et. al., 2011) and the
virus was even present in the tissues of pigs
slaughtered for human consumption (Sarma et
al., 2008). In Kerala, the disease was rst report-
ed in pigs from Wayanad in 2006 (Ravishankar
et. al., 2007). Out of the 50 samples collected
during the period of this study (2006-2010), nine
(18%) were conrmed as CSF (Ravishankar et.
al., 2011) and the present study deals with the
gross and histopathological lesions of the nine
CSF conrmed cases.
1
Corresponding author : Email : drsajithanil@gmail.com
The Indian Veterinary Journal (August, 2016)
Accepted : 20-08-2015)
Materials and Methods
Out of the 50 pigs, which were brought for
post- mortem examination to the Department
of Pathology, College of Veterinary & Animal
Sciences, Pookode, Wayanad, Kerala with
lesions simulating Classical Swine Fever, nine
were conrmed as cases of CSF and served
as the material for the study. The study was
conducted for a period of ve years (2006–2010).
The animals were subjected to detailed post
mortem examination and tissues of skin, lymph
node, spleen, lung, heart, liver, kidney, and
intestine were collected in 10 per cent formalin
for histopathological examination. Parafn
embedded tissue sections were cut into 5µ thick-
ness and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin
stain (Bancroft and Gamble, 2007).
Results and Discussion
In the present study, the carcasses were
dehydrated. Erythematous patches of 1–15
cm in diameter in unpigmented areas like ear,
abdomen and inner aspect of the thigh were the
most common gross lesions observed on the skin.
Post mortem examination revealed
marked enlargement of the retropharyngeal
lymph node with multiple petechial haemor-
rhages and the tonsil showed multiple poorly
demarcated haemorrhages. These lesions
varied from swelling and hyperaemia with
bright red subcapsular haemorrhage to dense
dark coloured haemorrhages obscuring the
entire nodal architecture. These lesions are in
acoordance with earlier researchers (Vegad and
Katiyar, 2001). Haemorrhages were present
mainly in the subcapsular area of the lymph
nodes. Spleen was enlarged due to subcapsular
haemorrhage. There were multiple coalesc-
ing, dark red infarcts along the margins of the
 Litty Mathew et al.
Fig. 1 – Pig - Large Intestine — Button ulcers
spleen. The lungs had multiple petechiae and
pale infarcts surrounded by haemorrhagic areas.
Kidneys revealed typical turkey egg appearance
due to sharply demarcated petechiae of 1–5 mm
in diameter just beneath the capsule and deep
into the renal cortex. Small circular necrotic
areas of about 0.5–1cm in diameter with raised
borders and depressed centers, called button
ulcers were present in the large intestine (Fig.1)
of two animals. These were surrounded by zones
of haemorrhages. The adjacent mucosa was
inammed. Cut section revealed the presence
of sharply demarcated zone of necrosis in the
underlying mucosa and sub mucosa. Turkey egg
appearance of the kidney and button ulcers in
the large intestine are considered the pathogno-
monic gross lesions of the Classical Swine Fever.
Hepatomegaly with severe congestion was also
present. Petechiae were also present in urinary
bladder, larynx, epiglottis and heart. All these
lesions were attributed to the vascular changes.
Damage to endothelial cells and haemopoietic
cells leads to thrombocytopenia, consumption
coagulopathy and in turn disseminated intra-
vascular coagulation. The reported gross lesions
of Swine Fever include a red-blue discolouration
of skin, hydropericardium, hydrothorax, and
hydroperitoneum, haemorrhages and necrosis
of palatine tonsil and petechial and ecchymotic
haemorrhages in most of the body especially
kidney (Zachary and Mc Gavin, 2012).
Histopathological examination of skin
revealed haemorrhagic areas and inammation.
Lymph node showed lymphoid cell depletion
and subcapsular haemorrhages. Atrophy of the
white pulp, characterized by reduction in the
The Indian Veterinary Journal (August, 2016)
19
Fig. 2 Spleen — Depletion of lymphoid follicles and subcap-
sular haemorrhage H&E 400X
number of follicles and lymphoid depletion and
sub-capsular hemorrhage which may be respon-
sible for the splenic enlargement were present
in the spleen (Fig. 2). Atrophy of the thymus and
lymphoid cell depletion was common in chronic
disease after initial acute febrile phase and
apparent recovery. In some cases, even when
spleen was free of gross and microscopic infarc-
tion, vascular changes could be detected which
were often associated with perivascular haemor-
rhages. In addition to that, reticulo-endothelial
cell hyperplasia and reduction in the number of
mature lymphocytes were seen. In swine fever,
the effect on the immune system varies with
the stage of differentiation of the immune cells.
The mature elements degenerate, whereas the
undifferentiated cells respond by proliferation
(Jubb et. al., 1993).
Histopathological examination of lungs
showed thickening of the alveolar lining with
dilated capillaries. Hemorrhages were observed
in the alveoli. Inammation with presence of
multinucleated giant cell was also seen (Fig.
3). Pneumonia was present with inltration of
predominantly mononuclear cells and lesser
number of neutrophils. Endothelial cell prolif-
eration, forming papillary projections into the
lumen of blood vessels, brinoid necrosis (Fig. 4)
and vacuolar degeneration of the medial smooth
muscle cells were present in pulmonary artery.
The endothelial cells were also slightly swollen.
Coagulative necrosis and shrinkage of glomeru-
lar tufts, diffuse haemorrhages and inltration
of mononuclear cells were the predominant
lesions observed in the kidney. Microscopic
examination of the intestine, especially colon
20 Patho-Morphological Study of ...
Fig. 3 Lungs — Pneumonia with inltration of mononucle-
arcells H&E 400X
showed degeneration and desquamation of
mucosal epithelial cells. Heavy inltrations
of mononuclear cells were seen in the mucosa
and submucosa especially adjacent to necrotic
areas. In liver, coagulative necrosis along with
sinusoidal dilatation and haemorrhages was
present. In heart, myocardial haemorrhages and
inltration of mononuclear cells were present.
Subendocardial haemorrhage was also observed
in the heart.
The gross and microscopical lesions of
Swine Fever reect the effect of the virus on
the vascular endothelium, the immune system
and epithelial cells (Jubb et. al., loc cit), which
is thus associated with both the host and the
etiological factors. The mechanism of injury in
Classical Swine Fever especially in acute form
is damage to endothelial cells of multiple organ
systems and of haemopoietic cells (Zachary and
Mc Gavin, loc. cit). Apoptosis of virus infected
cells is one of the host responses to contain the
infection. It has recently been reported that
CSF virus like other human avi viruses inhibit
apoptosis at multiple levels including caspase-
8 and mitochondrial checkpoints and also by
regulating interferon and Nuclear Factor-kappa
B (NF-kB) signaling and this rather than lysis
of infected endothelial cells is important in the
pathogenesis of the disease. The presence of
such apoptosis resistant, infected endothelial
cell population lead to the presence of high viral
load in acute infections, and this will also play a
key role in the immunosuppressant and hemor-
rhagic effects of the virus (Bensaude et. al., 2004;
Johns et. al., 2010). Congenital infection may
result in abortion, mummied fetuses, stillborn
The Indian Veterinary Journal (August, 2016)
Fig. 4 Pig - Lungs- Fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel wall H&E
400X
and/or weak piglets, or embryonic malforma-
tions (Sharma and Adlakha, 2000).
Recently there have been reports that
CSF virus protects endothelial cells from
apoptosis by a variety of pathways in porcine
vascular endothelial cell lines. Here we report
that there is apparent proliferation of endothe-
lial cells which formed papillary projections
into the lumen of the blood vessels in eld cases
of CSF. This might be due to lack of apoptosis
and / or increased endothelial proliferation and
so our study gives an in vivo evidence as to the
proposed role played by the endothelial cells in
maintaining viral replication, increased viral
load and thus in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Classical Swine Fever virus is thought
to be evolved by species jumping that is by a
host range mutation of another pesti virus. Also
experimentally the avi viruses have an overlap-
ping host spectrum (Hirsh and Zee, 1999). So
the importance of the disease lies not only in the
fact that it affects economic pig production, it
may have implications in the pathogenesis and
diagnosis of diseases of other species especially
when mixed farming is practiced.
Summary
The present study gives the detailed and varied
gross and histopathological lesions observed in
conrmed cases of swine fever.
Acknowledgement
The authors are thankful to the Dean, College
of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Pookode,
Wayanad and Professor M. Radhakrishna Pillai,
 Litty Mathew et al. 21

Director, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology, bound Emerging Diseases. 58(5):461-3.
Trivandrum, Kerala for providing the necessary Quinn, P.J., Markey, B.K., Carter, M.E., Donnelly, W.J. and
facilities needed for the study. Leonard, F. C. (2002) Veterinary microbiology and microbial
diseases Blackwell Science Limited, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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With profound sorrow, we record the demise of Dr M.S. Jayaraman, popularly called as Dr MSJ among us, a
retired Veterinary Microbiologist of Tamilnadu.
Dr M.S. Jayaraman passed away on 27.04.2016 at his residence at Nandanam, Chennai. Dr Jayaraman was born
on 24.12.1924. He obtained his G.M.V.C., B.V.Sc and M.V.Sc (Bacteriology) from
the Madras Veterinary College. He was awarded the prestigious Nufeld Foundation
Travelling Fellowship and had his specialized training in the diagnosis of bacterial
diseases with particular reference to salmonellae and other enteropathogens in
reputed laboratories in the U.K. He was the Principal Investigator of the P.L. 480
scheme to evolve an efcient sheep pox vaccine at the IVPM, Ranipet, and won
the appreciation of the United State Department of Agriculture, Washington for his
research work. Thereafter he was on the staff of the Madras Veterinary College and
headed the newly created separate department of virology. He retired on superan-
nuation as Professor of Microbiology in 1982. He has to his credit more than forty
research publications. After retirement his expertise was utilized by the Cancer
Institute, Madras and the Public Health Centre, Madras. Dr. Jayaraman’s services
were utilized by the Indian Veterinary Journal from 1961 to 1982 as Assistant Editor
and thereafter as Associate Editor. Since the shifting of the Ofce of the Indian
Veterinary Journal to its own building in February 1987, Dr Jayaraman spared his
valuable time to attend the ofce and help the Editor in all possible ways. Even
before his ofcial induction as Assistant Editor, he was assisting the then Editor Dr T.V. Mudaliar, the doyen of our
profession from 1956. He had contributed in a great measure to the successful running of the Indian Veterinary
Journal. He was instrumental in establishing an uninterrupted and continuous IVJ column of “Flash Back” from
July, 2004. Even after leaving the IVJ, he continued to contribute to the “Flash Back” column and provided sugges-
tions advice and encouragement from time to time for the upliftment of the journal activities. We place on record
our deep gratitude to Dr Jayaraman for the valuable services rendered by him to the profession in general and the
Journal in particular.

The Indian Veterinary Journal (August, 2016)