The recent incursion and advance of ASF in Europe and challenges posed by wild boar (Sus scrofa)

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral hemorrhagic disease of suids. Its potential impact on the pig industry, international trade, game sector and rural livelihoods could be devastating for the European Union (EU), with a total... [ view full abstract ]

African swine fever (ASF) is a viral hemorrhagic disease of suids. Its potential impact on the pig industry, international trade, game sector and rural livelihoods could be devastating for the European Union (EU), with a total pig population of 149 million and an annual export of over 2.17 billion Euro. There is particular concern about the epidemiological role of European wild boar (Sus scrofa) population, which has grown exponentially in recent decades, and now forms a continuous population of 3.5 million across Europe. The objectives of this presentation are: 1. To provide an update on the recent incursion and advance of ASF in Europe; 2. To introduce/present the recently initiated Action in Europe: ASF-STOP. Materials for this study were epidemiological reports (OIE, EU-Animal Disease Notification System) and published data. ASF emerged in continental Europe through an incursion in Georgia in 2007, thereafter spread into Armenia affecting domestic pigs and wild boar, and expanded into Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus causing large-scale epidemics in domestic pigs. Simultaneous infection of domestic pig and wild boar populations has led to persistence of ASF. The wild boar population provides an easy route for ASF spread. ASF entered the EU in 2014 with the first cases in Lithuania followed by Poland, Latvia and Estonia. The first detection in these four countries was in wild boar found dead. There are no vaccines available and ASF continues to advance. ASF-STOP is a networking Action financed by the EU that brings together scientists from 27 European countries with the main aim of understanding and combating ASF. The Action has a strong component of wild boar work, including biology, management, epidemiology and ASF-pathobiology. ASF is an emerging infection that threatens the pig industry. The growing wild boar population in Europe poses a major challenge for the control of ASF.