ASFV primarily replicates in monocytes and macrophages(Malmquist and Hay 1960; Minguez et al. 1988), but also replicates in endothelial cells (Wilkinson and Wardley 1978), hepatocytes, renal tubular epithelial cells (Gómez-Villamandos et al. 1995), and neutrophils (Carrasco et al. 1996).
No infection has been observed in T or B lymphocytes (Minguez et al. 1988).
The virus particle enters susceptible cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis (Alcami et al. 1989) and replicates in distinct areas of the cytoplasm close to the nucleus.