Original Source

Risk Factors for African Swine Fever Incursion in Romanian Domestic Farms During 2019

Scientific Reports

Volume: 10: 10215

23 JUNE 2020

Boklund, A., Dhollander, S., Chesnoiu Vasile, T., Abrahantes, J. C., Bøtner, A., Gogin, A., et. al.

64

Yes

From the source: "We acknowledge financial support from EFSA, ANSVSA and from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (FVST) as part of the agreement of commissioned work between the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries and the University of Copenhagen."

From the source: "The authors declare no competing interests."
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Summary

Researchers conducted a matched case-control study to investigate African swine fever (ASF) incursion risk factors in Romanian pig farms. The study employed separate analyses for backyard and commercial farms, considering factors like proximity to outbreaks, wild boar exposure, and farm management practices in assessing ASF incursion risk. The researchers found that for backyard farms outbreaks were related to having crops attractive to wild boars and using forage sourced from ASF-affected regions. Other risk factors for backyard farms included herd size, the number of outbreaks in domestic pig farms within 2 km, and number of professionals visiting the farm, while commercial farms were primarily affected by their distance from the nearest domestic farm outbreak.

A strength of the study is the use of a matched case-control design, which enhances the study’s robustness by comparing outbreak and control farms while accounting for some confounding variables. A limitation noted by the authors was the limited sample size of infected commercial farms during the study period, hampering statistical power. This study can help inform future decisions by guiding tailored biosecurity measures to mitigate ASF risks in pig agriculture.

African swine fever (ASF) entered Georgia in 2007 and the EU in 2014. In the EU, the virus primarily spread in wild boar (Sus scrofa) in the period from 2014–2018. However, from the summer 2018, numerous domestic pig farms in Romania were affected by ASF. In contrast to the existing knowledge on ASF transmission routes, the understanding of risk factors and the importance of different transmission routes is still limited. In the period from May to September 2019, 655 Romanian pig farms were included in a matched case-control study investigating possible risk factors for ASF incursion in commercial and backyard pig farms. The results showed that close proximity to outbreaks in domestic farms was a risk factor in commercial as well as backyard farms. Furthermore, in backyard farms, herd size, wild boar abundance around the farm, number of domestic outbreaks within 2 km around farms, short distance to wild boar cases and visits of professionals working on farms were statistically significant risk factors. Additionally, growing crops around the farm, which could potentially attract wild boar, and feeding forage from ASF affected areas to the pigs were risk factors for ASF incursion in backyard farms.