An assessment of the epidemiology and socioeconomic impact of the 2019 African swine fever outbreak in Ngara district, western Tanzania

Kivumbi, C.C.; Yona, Clara M.; Hakizimana, J.N.; Misinzo, Gerald

doi:10.1016/j.vas.2021.100198

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 35 publications

(43 reference statements)

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“…All farmers in this study, from small and larger properties experienced financial losses from the ASF epidemic. The financial impacts of ASF on farmers have been described in detail in Africa (19)(20)(21)(22)(23); reviewed in (24) and Asia (25,26). The negative impacts on broader pig value chain players have been described but not quantified in Cameroon (27) and Tanzania (28).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Numbers: Determining the Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines

et al. 2022

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The impacts of African Swine Fever (ASF) have most frequently been described quantitatively though it is increasingly acknowledged these impacts extend well beyond numbers. During 2020, a multidisciplinary team of researchers developed a framework for Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impact Assessment (SELIA) of livestock diseases in smallholder communities. Two key innovations within this SELIA framework are the integration of sustainable livelihoods concepts to capture rich information beyond financial impacts, and the inclusion of stakeholders across the value chain, beyond farmers. This paper focuses on the findings from one of the first applications of the SELIA framework. In late 2020 the research team applied participatory tools from the SELIA Framework (8 focus group discussions, 14 key informant interviews, and 2 network mapping activities) to gather data to describe the impact of ASF in backyard pig-farming communities and value chains. This was undertaken across two locations in the Philippines, in turn highlighting potential leverage points for intervention. Owing to COVID-19 travel restrictions and risks, modifications to training and field activities were made. Findings from focus groups and interviews revealed the deep, emotional impacts of ASF and the associated control measures. Pigs were considered pets by many farmers and some women described them as being like their children. Animal health-workers (AHWs) also recognised the emotional toll on farmers and were sometimes strongly criticised by community members due to their involvement in depopulation campaigns. Misinformation early in the epidemic also led farmers to hide their animals from AHWs, and to dispose of them inappropriately. While the overall impact of ASF on society was negative, the impacts across different communities, scales of production and different value chain actors varied. The losses experienced by backyard farmers resulted in significant losses to linked value chain actors, such as input suppliers. This trial application of the SELIA framework revealed some complex and varied impacts of ASF. This included significant differences in livelihood and socio-economic impacts amongst different actors within value chains and also among different categories of actors (for example small, medium and large-scale traders). Repeated themes and triangulated findings suggest two leverage points for further consideration. Firstly, it is recommended a One Welfare approach to ASF control in the Philippines is explored. Emphasising careful communication between animal health-workers and farmers, and humane and sensitive pig depopulation practices. Secondly, consideration of ASF support programs tailored to sectoral and specific communities is recommended.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond Numbers: Determining the Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines

et al. 2022

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“…At present, ASF is reported to be endemic in many regions of the world, including most of sub-Saharan Africa, the island of Sardinia, and parts of the Caucasus region and Eastern Europe (Brown and Bevins 2018;Costard et al 2013;Kivumbi et al 2021). In Vietnam, as various ASFV variants have been found, ASF outbreaks are occurring in small and scattered patterns (GSO 2021;Nguyen et al 2022;Tran et al 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The study of antigen carrying and lesions observed in pigs that survived post African swine fever virus infection

Lai

Nguyen

et al. 2022

Trop Anim Health Prod

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African swine fever (ASF) is a dangerous infectious disease of domestic pigs and wild boar caused by African swine fever virus (ASFV). In Vietnam, the ASF epidemic is gradually turning into an endemic status with several recovered pigs post infection, but there were not many studies evaluating the role of these pigs in the epidemiological context in Vietnam. The aim of this study was to evaluate the viral antigen distribution and lesions in recovered pigs post ASFV infection. Ten pigs recovered from ASF at 6 weeks of age were monitored and assessed for anti-ASFV antibodies and viremia until slaughter. The five major organs (lung, liver, spleen, kidney, and lymph nodes) of these pigs were evaluated for microscopic lesions and viral antigen distribution. Anti-ASFV antibody was consistently observed to be high (S/P% ≥ 80) until slaughter, while viremia levels were very high (7 log 10 copies/mL) at 6 weeks of age and gradually decreased to undetectable levels at 12 weeks of age (6th week post-infection). At slaughter, the ASFV-associated lesions in the organs of these pigs were mild and nonspecific. Seven out of ten pigs recovering from ASF still carried the virus in surveyed organ tissues, although not in the serum. These findings suggest that ASF-recovered pigs may be potential carriers of the virus, contributing to the increased complexity in the current endemic status in Vietnam.

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“…Secure confinement prevents scavenging, but often results in pigs being fed swill due to limited access to, and high costs of, commercial feed. Swill feeding is frequently mentioned as a probable cause of introduction of ASF into smallholder pig farms [ 17 , 19 , 30 , 108 , 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 , 129 , 130 , 131 , 132 ].…”

Section: Mitigating Well-documented Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Eastern Europe, they are kept mostly for home slaughter [ 2 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] and manufacture of traditional products that are consumed during the winter months and may sometimes be sold locally [ 6 , 11 ]. In some parts of the Pacific region, they are kept mainly for ceremonial or social purposes as well as an important source of income [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ], and in many parts of Africa, as well as in Haiti, mainly as a passive asset, insurance policy, or “walking bank” to be sold when a need arises [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. There is a need for better management of ASF in many types of smallholder farms and free-ranging systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Innovative Research Offers New Hope for Managing African Swine Fever Better in Resource-Limited Smallholder Farming Settings: A Timely Update

et al. 2023

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African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs has, since its discovery in Africa more than a century ago, been associated with subsistence pig keeping with low levels of biosecurity. Likewise, smallholder and backyard pig farming in resource-limited settings have been notably affected during the ongoing epidemic in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Caribbean regions. Many challenges to managing ASF in such settings have been identified in the ongoing as well as previous epidemics. Consistent implementation of biosecurity at all nodes in the value chain remains most important for controlling and preventing ASF. Recent research from Asia, Africa, and Europe has provided science-based information that can be of value in overcoming some of the hurdles faced for implementing biosecurity in resource-limited contexts. In this narrative review we examine a selection of these studies elucidating innovative solutions such as shorter boiling times for inactivating ASF virus in swill, participatory planning of interventions for risk mitigation for ASF, better understanding of smallholder pig-keeper perceptions and constraints, modified culling, and safe alternatives for disposal of carcasses of pigs that have died of ASF. The aim of the review is to increase acceptance and implementation of science-based approaches that increase the feasibility of managing, and the possibility to prevent, ASF in resource-limited settings. This could contribute to protecting hundreds of thousands of livelihoods that depend upon pigs and enable small-scale pig production to reach its full potential for poverty alleviation and food security.

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An assessment of the epidemiology and socioeconomic impact of the 2019 African swine fever outbreak in Ngara district, western Tanzania

Cited by 7 publications

References 35 publications

Beyond Numbers: Determining the Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines

Beyond Numbers: Determining the Socioeconomic and Livelihood Impacts of African Swine Fever and Its Control in the Philippines

The study of antigen carrying and lesions observed in pigs that survived post African swine fever virus infection

Innovative Research Offers New Hope for Managing African Swine Fever Better in Resource-Limited Smallholder Farming Settings: A Timely Update

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