African Swine Fever: Transmission, Spread, and Control through Biosecurity and Disinfection, Including Polish Trends

Abstract

African swine fever is a contagious disease, affecting pigs and wild boars, which poses a major threat to the pig industry worldwide and, therefore, to the agricultural economies of many countries. Despite intensive studies, an effective vaccine against the disease has not yet been developed. Since 2007, ASFV has been circulating in Eastern and Central Europe, covering an increasingly large area. As of 2018, the disease is additionally spreading at an unprecedented scale in Southeast Asia, nearly ruining China's pig-producing sector and generating economic losses of approximately USD 111.2 billion in 2019. ASFV's high resistance to environmental conditions, together with the lack of an approved vaccine, plays a key role in the spread of the disease. Therefore, the biosecurity and disinfection of pig farms are the only effective tools through which to prevent ASFV from entering the farms. The selection of a disinfectant, with research-proven efficacy and proper use, taking into account environmental conditions, exposure time, pH range, and temperature, plays a crucial role in the disinfection process. Despite the significant importance of ASF epizootics, little information is available on the effectiveness of different disinfectants against ASFV. In this review, we have compiled the current knowledge on the transmission, spread, and control of ASF using the principles of biosecurity, with particular attention to disinfection, including a perspective based on Polish experience with ASF control.

Keywords: African swine fever; biosecurity; disinfection.

Figure 1

The occurrences of ASF in Poland between 2014 and 2022; red—outbreaks in pigs, purple—outbreaks in wild boars [38].

Figure 2

The distribution of restricted zones and ASF outbreaks in pigs (red dots) and wild boars (yellow dots) in Poland in 2023 (state as of July, 2023) [82].