About this Research Topic

Background

With the internationalization of the movement of both human and commodities, many animal diseases that were once considered endemic in certain local region are currently being reported as transboundary infectious diseases in many parts of the world. The recent outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF) in Asia & Pacific region is a prime example: ASF spread rapidly to neighboring countries after the first outbreak was reported in China in 2018. Classical swine fever (CSF), foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), which are equally devastating in terms of economic losses as ASF, remain prevalent in Asia & Pacific region and are persistently being reported from various areas.

Asia is the leading market for pork consumption and production which accounts for about half of the world production. Despite this, pig production in the region persists many risk factors for transboundary infectious diseases such as low biosecurity levels, predominance of backyard and small-scale farms, limited knowledge of disease. Findings from other parts of the world, such as Europe, are valuable but not always applicable to other area. In many regions, small-scale farmers still predominate and backyard farms are common. In addition to weak biosecurity levels, poor knowledge of the disease in different epidemiological scenarios can further exacerbate the situation. Illegal trade in infected pigs and infected pork, in addition to swill feeding practices, remains a major outstanding problem. The epidemiological situation is further complicated when wild animals are involved in the transmission cycle: in the case of ASF and CSF, wild boars play an important role in the spread of disease, thus making control even more complex.

Under these circumstances, accurate and scientific understanding/knowledge of the epidemiological information is an important issue. This makes it challenging to develop effective control strategies, and even when vaccines are available, outbreaks remain difficult to control.

This research topic will focus on studies (original researches, reviews, mini-reviews, brief research report, etc.) that address and discuss the various research gaps in the epidemiology of transboundary swine diseases in Asia & Pacific region.

We welcome research in all areas of epidemiology. Research on ASF, CSF, FMD, and PRRS which are particularly severe and cause significant economic losses, is especially welcome.



Target diseases - ASF, CSF, FMD, PRRS etc.

-Description and analysis of epidemics

-Measurement of economic impact

-Development of monitoring and surveillance systems and raising issues

-Effective control and prevention strategies

-Vaccine dissemination and effectiveness measurement

-Risk factor analysis and risk assessment

Keywords: Transboundary diseases, Asia-Pacific, epidemiology, pig, wild boar

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