scholarly journals What Do Lithuanian Hunters Think of African Swine Fever and Its Control—Perceptions

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 525
Author(s):  
Evelina Stončiūtė ◽  
Katja Schulz ◽  
Alvydas Malakauskas ◽  
Franz J. Conraths ◽  
Marius Masiulis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Governmental Institutions

After the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) into Lithuania in 2014, continuous spread of the disease resulted in infection of the wild boar populations in most parts of Lithuania. The virus has been moving closer to other Western European countries where pig density is high. An efficient surveillance system detecting ASF cases early in domestic and wild animals is necessary to manage this disease. To make surveillance appropriate and effective, it is critical to understand how key players perceive the implemented control measures. This study investigated the attitudes and beliefs of hunters in Lithuania regarding currently implemented or proposed measures for the control of ASF in the wild boar population. Study data were collected through questionnaires distributed via the internet and by hunting associations in Lithuania. In total, 621 fully completed questionnaires were received and analyzed. All measures interfering with extensive hunting, like ban of driven or individual hunting or ban of supplementary feeding were considered as unacceptable and as ineffective measures to control ASF in wild boar. However, selective hunting of female wild boar was generally considered as an unethical act and therefore rejected. Some measures that seem to have been successful in other countries, like involvement of additional forces, were rejected by Lithuanian hunters, thus implementation of these measures could be difficult. The study highlighted that there is a need for improving important relationships with other stakeholders, since many hunters expressed a lack of trust in governmental institutions and regarded cooperation with them as insufficient. Hunters emphasized that their motivation to support passive surveillance measures could be improved with financial compensation and reduction of workload. The present study provides insights into hunters’ perceptions, which may be used as a foundation for additional discussions with these important stakeholders and for adapting measures to improve their acceptance if appropriate.

scholarly journals African swine fever virus (ASFV) in Poland: Prevalence in a wild boar population (2017–2018)

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
MP Frant ◽  
M Lyjak ◽  
L Bocian ◽  
A Barszcz ◽  
K Niemczuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
In The Wild

African swine fever (ASF) was first described in 1921 in Kenya. The latest epidemic of ASF started in 2007 in Georgia. The virus was introduced to Poland in 2014. Since the beginning of the epidemics, the National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy (NVRI) has been testing wild boar samples from restricted areas and other parts of Poland to conduct passive and active surveillance for ASFV in these groups of animals. The aim of this study was to summarise the last two years of the ASF epidemiological status in Poland and the attempt to find disease patterns in the wild boar population. The period between 2017 and 2018 brought a massive number of new ASF cases in Poland. The number of ASF-positive wild boars jumped from 91 in 2016 to 1 140 in 2017 (approximately a 12 × increase), and 2018 was even worse, with the disease affecting 4 083 animals (2 435 cases; one case could even be 10 animals or more if they are found in one place next to each other). The percentage of positive wild boars found dead (passive surveillance) in the restricted area increased in 2018 to 73.1% from 70.8% in 2017. The chance of obtaining positive results in this group was six times higher in December and 4.5 times higher in January than in August and September. The percentage of positive wild boars detected through active surveillance reached 1.5% in 2018. The data suggested that, not only in Poland, but also in other ASF-affected countries, during the epizootic stage of the disease spread the most important measure is an effective passive surveillance of dead wild boars especially, in the winter season rather than in the summer.

scholarly journals African swine fever in the Lithuanian wild boar population in 2018: a snapshot

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnoldas Pautienius ◽  
Katja Schulz ◽  
Christoph Staubach ◽  
Juozas Grigas ◽  
Ruta Zagrabskaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Active Surveillance ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Prevalence Estimates ◽  
Risk Of Disease ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The first cases of African swine fever (ASF) were detected in the Lithuanian wild boar population in 2014. Since then, the disease spread slowly through the whole country, affecting both, wild boar and domestic pigs. In the other Baltic states, which both are also affected by ASF since 2014, the recent course of ASF prevalence suggests that the countries might be well under way of disease elimination. In contrast, in Lithuania the epidemic seems to be still in full progress. In the present study, we aimed to extend a previous prevalence study in Lithuania. Looking at ASF virus (ASFV) and seroprevalence estimates of wild boar in all months of 2018 and in all affected municipalities in Lithuania, the course of ASF was evaluated on a temporal and spatial scale. A non-spatial beta-binomial model was used to correct for under- or overestimation of the average prevalence estimates. Within 2018 no big differences between the prevalence estimates were seen over time. Despite of the lower sample size, highest ASFV prevalence estimates were found in dead wild boar, suggesting higher detection rates through passive surveillance than through active surveillance. Accordingly, with the maximum prevalence of 87.5% in May 2018, the ASFV prevalence estimates were very high in wild boar found dead. The number of samples originating from hunted animals (active surveillance) predominated clearly. However, the ASFV prevalence in those animals was lower with a maximum value of 2.1%, emphasizing the high value of passive surveillance. A slight increase of the seroprevalence in hunted wild boar could be seen over time. In the center of Lithuania, a cluster of municipalities with high ASFV and seroprevalence estimates was found. The results of the study indicate that ASFV is still circulating within the Lithuanian wild boar population, constituting a permanent risk of disease transmission into domestic pig holdings. However, additional, more recent data analyses are necessary to re-evaluate the course of ASF in Lithuania and thus, to be able to make a statement about the stage of the ASF epidemic in the country. This is of huge importance for Lithuania for evaluating control measures and their efficacy, but also for neighbouring countries to assess the risk of disease spread from Lithuania.

scholarly journals R0 Estimation for the African Swine Fever Epidemics in Wild Boar of Czech Republic and Belgium

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Marcon ◽  
Annick Linden ◽  
Petr Satran ◽  
Vincenzo Gervasi ◽  
Alain Licoppe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Reliable Data ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Wild Pigs ◽  
Eradication Strategy ◽  
Growth Method

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious haemorrhagic fever that affects both domesticated and wild pigs. Since ASF reached Europe wild boar populations have been a reservoir for the virus. Collecting reliable data on infected individuals in wild populations is challenging, and this makes it difficult to deploy an effective eradication strategy. However, for diseases with high lethality rate, infected carcasses can be used as a proxy for the number of infected individuals at a certain time. Then R0 parameter can be used to estimate the time distribution of the number of newly infected individuals for the outbreak. We estimated R0 for two ASF outbreaks in wild boar, in Czech Republic and Belgium, using the exponential growth method. This allowed us to estimate both R0 and the doubling time (Td) for those infections. The results are R0 = 1.95, Td = 4.39 for Czech Republic and R0 = 1.65, Td = 6.43 for Belgium. We suggest that, if estimated as early as possible, R0 and Td can provide an expected course for the infection against which to compare the actual data collected in the field. This would help to assess if passive surveillance is properly implemented and hence to verify the efficacy of the applied control measures.

scholarly journals African Swine Fever Status in Europe

Viruses ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Przemyslaw Cwynar ◽  
Jane Stojkov ◽  
Klaudia Wlazlak
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Europe ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Domestic Pig ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Virus Spreading

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease that affects the domestic pig and wild boar population. The aim of this study was to describe the introduction and spread of the ASF virus in Western Europe (1960–1995) and in Eastern Europe (2007–2018), with particular emphasis on the current ASF situation in Poland and its challenges and future perspectives. The first ASF outbreak in Europe was reported in Portugal in 1957, with the virus spreading over most of Western Europe over the next 30 years. In Eastern Europe, the virus was first observed in Georgia in 2007, from where the disease spread quickly to other neighboring countries, reaching Poland in 2014. Since then, there have been 3341 confirmed cases in the wild boar population in Poland. Although there have been no confirmed cases of wild boars coming into contact with domestic pigs, the first notified case concerning domestic pigs was reported in July 2014. Since then, there have been a total of 213 confirmed outbreaks of ASF on Polish pig farms. Given the virulence of the ASF virus and the myriad of transmission routes across Europe, the monitoring of this disease must be a priority for Europe.

scholarly journals African Swine Fever in Wild Boar (Poland 2020): Passive and Active Surveillance Analysis and Further Perspectives

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1219
Author(s):  
Maciej Piotr Frant ◽  
Anna Gal-Cisoń ◽  
Łukasz Bocian ◽  
Anna Ziętek-Barszcz ◽  
Krzysztof Niemczuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Hemorrhagic Disease ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Domestic Pigs ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Surveillance Analysis ◽  
Eastern And Western Europe

African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal hemorrhagic disease of wild boar and domestic pigs which has been present in Poland since 2014. By 2020, the ASF virus (ASFV) spread across Central, Eastern and Western Europe (including Germany), and Asian countries (including China, Vietnam, and South Korea). The national ASF eradication and prevention program includes continuous passive (wild boar found dead and road-killed wild boar) and active (hunted wild boar) surveillance. The main goal of this study was to analyze the dynamic of the spread of ASF in the wild boar population across the territory of Poland in 2020. In that year in Poland, in total 6191 ASF-positive wild boar were declared. Most of them were confirmed in a group of animals found dead. The conducted statistical analysis indicates that the highest chance of obtaining an ASF-positive result in wild boar was during the winter months, from January to March, and in December 2020. Despite the biosecurity measures implemented by holdings of domestic pigs, the disease also occurred in 109 pig farms. The role of ASF surveillance in the wild boar population is crucial to apply more effective and tailored measures of disease control and eradication. The most essential measures to maintain sustainable production of domestic pigs in Poland include effective management of the wild boar population, along with strict implementation of biosecurity measures by domestic pig producers.

Monitoring of African Swine Fever in the Wild Boar Population of the Most Recent Endemic Area of Spain

2012 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 526-531 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Mur ◽  
M. Boadella ◽  
B. Martínez-López ◽  
C. Gallardo ◽  
C. Gortazar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Endemic Area ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
In The Wild

scholarly journals The African Swine Fever Epidemic in Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) in Lithuania (2014–2018)

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petras Mačiulskis ◽  
Marius Masiulis ◽  
Gediminas Pridotkas ◽  
Jūratė Buitkuvienė ◽  
Vaclovas Jurgelevičius ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Baltic States ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
First Case ◽  
The Baltic

In January 2014 the first case of African swine fever (ASF) in wild boar of the Baltic States was reported from Lithuania. It has been the first occurrence of the disease in Eastern EU member states. Since then, the disease spread further affecting not only the Baltic States and Poland but also south-eastern Europe, the Czech Republic and Belgium. The spreading pattern of ASF with its long-distance spread of several hundreds of kilometers on the one hand and the endemic situation in wild boar on the other is far from being understood. By analyzing data of ASF cases in wild boar along with implemented control measures in Lithuania from 2014–2018 this study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the disease. In brief, despite huge efforts to eradicate ASF, the disease is now endemic in the Lithuanian wild boar population. About 86% of Lithuanian’s territory is affected and over 3225 ASF cases in wild boar have been notified since 2014. The ASF epidemic led to a considerable decline in wild boar hunting bags. Intensified hunting might have reduced the wild boar population but this effect cannot be differentiated from the population decline caused by the disease itself. However, for ASF detection sampling of wild boar found dead supported by financial incentives turned out to be one of the most effective tools.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Perceptions of Estonian and Latvian Hunters With Regard to the Control of African Swine Fever

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nico Urner ◽  
Carola Sauter-Louis ◽  
Christoph Staubach ◽  
Franz Josef Conraths ◽  
Katja Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Participatory Methods ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Passive Surveillance ◽  
Participatory Epidemiology

Since the first detected African swine fever (ASF) cases in Lithuanian wild boar in 2014, the virus has occurred in many other member states of the European Union (EU), most recently in Belgium in 2018 and in Germany in 2020. Passive surveillance and various control measures are implemented as part of the strategy to stop disease spread in the wild boar population. Within this framework, hunters perform important activities, such as the removal of carcasses, fencing or hunting. Therefore, the successful implementation of these measures largely depends on their acceptability by hunters. Methods of participatory epidemiology can be used to determine the acceptance of control measures. The use of participatory methods allows the involvement of key stakeholders in the design, the implementation and the analysis of control and surveillance activities. In the present study, two studies that had been conducted using participatory epidemiology with hunters in Estonia and Latvia were compared on the topics recruitment, participants, facilitators, focus group discussion (FGDs) and their contents. The aim was to evaluate similarities and differences in the two studies and to identify a broader spectrum of possibilities to increase the willingness of hunters supporting the fight against ASF. Evaluating all conducted FGDs in both countries showed primarily similarities in the perceptions and opinions of the hunters in Estonia and Latvia. One notable difference was that passive surveillance in Latvia was perceived mostly as topic of duty and ethics rather than an issue driven by incentives. Participatory methods have proven to be an effective tool in the evaluation of the acceptance of established ASF control systems. The results of this study point out further chances for improving the cooperation with hunters in the future. Nevertheless, the importance of gathering and analyzing the opinions of hunters in all ASF affected countries individually is highlighted.

scholarly journals Wild boar behaviour and the epidemiological significance of this animal species as the main reservoir of the African swine fever virus

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (02) ◽  
pp. 6501-2021
Author(s):  
KAZIMIERZ TARASIUK ◽  
ZYGMUNT GIŻEJEWSKI
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
African Swine Fever Virus ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Fever Virus ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
To Come

Recent years (since 2013) have witnessed an increasing interest in wild boars in Europe because this animal species has become the most important reservoir of the African swine fever virus (ASFV). In all countries affected by ASF since 2013, the virus originated in wild boar populations, and the disease was directly or indirectly transmitted from wild boars to domestic pigs. In Poland, the first known case of ASF was detected in February 2014, and nearly 10 300 cases were reported by the end of April 2020. A correlation was found between the density of wild boar populations and the number of ASF cases. The global population of wild boars has increased considerably, and their natural range has expanded, particularly northward and westward. The mean annual growth rate in the wild boar population in Europe is around 100%. Milder winters and agricultural transformations that involve growing a single crop (in particular, maize) over large areas are the key factors contributing to the increase in the number of wild boars. In the opinion of most experts, recreational hunting is not sufficient to control the expansion of wild boar populations in Europe. Undoubtedly, wild boar populations will continue to be the main reservoir of the ASFV for many years to come, and wild boars will remain the major risk factor for ASF spread in commercial pig herds. Therefore, a new long-term approach to wild boar population management is needed

scholarly journals African Swine Fever Re-Emerging in Estonia: The Role of Seropositive Wild Boar from an Epidemiological Perspective

Viruses ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2121
Author(s):  
Katja Schulz ◽  
Jana Schulz ◽  
Christoph Staubach ◽  
Sandra Blome ◽  
Imbi Nurmoja ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wild Boar ◽  
Surveillance System ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Wild Boar Population ◽  
Cluster Analyses ◽  
Ongoing Surveillance ◽  
Low Prevalence

African swine fever (ASF) emerged in Estonia in 2014. From February 2019 to August 2020, no pigs or wild boar tested positive for ASF virus (ASFV), only ASFV-specific antibodies could be detected in shot wild boar. However, ASF recently re-emerged in wild boar. We tested three hypotheses that might explain the current situation: (i) ASFV may have been present throughout, but at a prevalence below the detection limit; (ii) seropositive wild boar may have remained infectious (i.e., virus-carriers) and kept the epidemic going; or (iii) ASF was gone for 1.5 years, but was recently re-introduced. Using Estonian surveillance data, the sensitivity of the surveillance system and the confidence in freedom from ASF were estimated. Furthermore, the detection probability was determined and cluster analyses were performed to investigate the role of serological positive wild boar. The results suggest that the surveillance system was not able to detect virus circulation at a design prevalence below 1%. With respect to the confidence in freedom from ASF, the results indicate that circulating virus should have been detected over time, if the prevalence was ≥2%. However, the decreasing wild boar population density and ongoing surveillance activities made ASFV circulation at a low prevalence unlikely. Cluster analyses provided no evidence for a significant accumulation of serologically positive wild boar in temporal connection to the re-emergence of ASFV. Further targeted research, such as long-term experimental studies and molecular epidemiology, is necessary to improve our knowledge on the epidemiology of ASF and to control the disease more effectively.

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