An Update on Active and Passive Surveillance for African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic

Abstract

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a viral, hemorrhagic disease of swine that is reportable to the World Organisation for Animal Health. Since 2007, ASF has been expanding globally and caused severe disruption to the global swine industry. In 2021, ASF was detected in the Dominican Republic, prompting an emergency response from local and international officials. Nearly three years later, ASF is still present in the country despite control efforts. This study used data from January 2023-March 2024 from government-mandated sampling of commercial farms, a newly initiated active surveillance program of backyard farms, and passive reports to provide a comprehensive and descriptive assessment of ASF in the Dominican Republic. The attack rate for each region was calculated, and the reproductive ratio (R0) was estimated using the doubling time method. ASF continues to be distributed throughout the Dominican Republic with lower attack rates in central regions and R0 nearing 1. These results suggest that ASF in the country is reaching a stable state that does not resemble an epidemic situation. This may suggest the need to change from an approach of emergency response to one of sustained and progressive control, ultimately for the long-term goal of ASF eradication in the Dominican Republic.