The control of classical swine fever in wild boar

Abstract

Classical swine fever (CSF) is a viral disease with severe economic consequences for domestic pigs. Natural hosts for the CSF virus (CSFV) are members of the family Suidae, i.e., Eurasian wild boar (sus scrofa) are also susceptible. CSF in wild boar poses a serious threat to domestic pigs. CSFV is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the pestivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. Transmission of the infection is usually by direct contact or by feeding of contaminated meat products. In recent decades CSF has been successfully eradicated from Australia, North America, and the European Union. In areas with dense wild boar populations CSF tends to become endemic whereas it is often self-limiting in small, less dense populations. In recent decades eradication strategies of CSF in wild boar have been improved considerably. The reduction of the number of susceptible animals to a threshold level where the basic reproductive number is R 0 < 1 is the major goal of all control efforts. Depending on the epidemiological situation, hunting measures combined with strict hygiene may be effective in areas with a relatively low density of wild boar. Oral immunization was shown to be highly effective in endemic situations in areas with a high density of wild boar.

Keywords: classical swine fever; control; oral vaccination; wild boar; wildlife diseases.

Figure 1

CSF in wild boar in Germany: Between 1994 and 2008 3049 virus positive cases were recorded. Blue circles indicate the regions where the two primary outbreaks were located in 1992. (Courtesy of Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Animal Disease Information System, TSN, 2015).

Figure 2

CSF in wild boar in Germany: 52 cases were recorded between January and July 2009. The last case was detected July, 29th 2009. Oral immunization was continued until spring of 2012. (Courtesy of Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Animal Disease Information System, TSN, 2015).