Abstract: African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and lethal viral disease of swine, posing a significant threat to the global swine industry. Infected domestic pigs, wild boars, and virus-carrying soft ticks serve as major sources of infection. Direct and indirect transmission as the primary modes of spread, constitute the complex transmission pathways of ASF. The ongoing spread of ASF in recent years underscores the critical importance of controlling transmission sources and interrupting transmission routes, yet gaps remain in understanding its transmission dynamics. This paper aimed to systematically analyze the complex transmission sources and pathways of the highly pathogenic ASFV strain, providing a reference for source control and transmission interruption strategies.

Key words: swine, African swine fever, infection sources, transmission routes, virus