Exploring the hurdles that remain for control of African swine fever in smallholder farming settings

Abstract

To honour the 100 years anniversary of the first publication about African swine fever (ASF) a webinar with a particular focus on disease control in the smallholder sector was organized. This article is based on the webinar, summarizing the early history of ASF research, reflecting on the current global disease situation and bringing forward some suggestions that could contribute towards achieving control of ASF.The first description of ASF by R. Eustace Montgomery in 1921 laid the foundations for what we know about the disease today. Subsequent research confirmed its association with warthogs and soft ticks of the Ornithodoros moubata complex. During the latter half of the 21st century, exponential growth of pig production in Africa has led to a change in the ASF-epidemiology pattern. It is now dominated by a cycle involving domestic pigs and pork with virus spread driven by people. In 2007, a global ASF epidemic started, reaching large parts of Europe, Asia and the Americas. In Europe, this epidemic has primarily affected wild boar. In Asia, wild boar, smallholders and industrialized pig farms have been affected with impact on local, national and international pig value chains. Globally and historically, domestic pigs in smallholder settings are most frequently affected and the main driver of ASF virus transmission. Awaiting a safe and efficacious vaccine, we need to continue focus on other measures, such as biosecurity, for controlling the disease. However, smallholders face specific challenges linked to poverty and other structural factors in implementing biosecurity measures that can prevent spread. Improving biosecurity in the smallholder sector thus remains an important tool for preventing and controlling ASF. In this regard, interdisciplinary research can help to find new ways to promote safe practices, facilitate understanding and embrace smallholders' perspectives, engage stakeholders and adjust prevention and control policies to improve implementation.

Community engagement strengthens pig disease knowledge and passive surveillance in Timor-Leste

“…Smallholder farmers in developing countries such as Timor-Leste with chronic poverty and lack of veterinary services, often experience high pig mortalities from diseases, particularly during major outbreaks ( 11 , 22 – 24 ). Low investment in pig farming leads to low biosecurity, which in turn leads to higher disease risk ( 9 , 24 , 25 ).…”

“…Barnes et al ( 9 ) reported similar benefits from engaging farmers and technicians in feeding trials and biosecurity practices in Timor-Leste. Chenais et al ( 22 ) and Aliro et al ( 26 ) recommended greater support for community education and participatory methods that take into account local social and cultural contexts.…”

Review of the Pig-Adapted African Swine Fever Viruses in and Outside Africa

“…In spite of a need to prioritise vaccine development for ASF, millions of poor households, especially in sub-Saharan Africa but also in the Asia-Pacific region and the Caribbean, keep pigs as a coping mechanism [ 58 , 134 , 136 , 185 , 186 , 187 , 188 , 189 ] or because of their cultural importance [ 190 ]. The utility of a vaccine in these settings is questionable, especially in the lower income countries where help from government is of necessity limited by lack of resources.…”

Innovative Research Offers New Hope for Managing African Swine Fever Better in Resource-Limited Smallholder Farming Settings: A Timely Update

“…It is increasingly recognised that biosecurity measures need to be developed in partnership with the pig owners and other stakeholders in the value chain to ensure that they are financially feasible, culturally acceptable, and, thus, implemented [ 23 , 27 , 30 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ]. The arrival of ASF in Eastern Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and, most recently, the Caribbean, has provided a new impetus for research that focuses on the specific circumstances and possibilities for pig keeping and disease management in the smallholder sector.…”

“…This is understandable and important, considering the impact that ASF has on commercial pig production and international trade. It is nevertheless believed that the benefits of those advancements will vary in the smallholder sector, depending on limitations such as genotype variation versus homologous vaccine protection, thermostability, costs, and practical applications [ 21 , 53 , 58 ]. There is also a growing body of literature on antiviral substances that are active, at least in vitro, against ASFV, but this does not appear to offer short-term solutions for management of ASF in the resource-limited smallholder sector.…”