African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating haemorrhagic viral disease affecting domestic and wild pigs of all ages and sexes. This disease causes massive economic losses, threatens food security and trade, and presents a serious challenge for the pig production sector in affected countries. ASF also threatens the biodiversity conservation of several Asiatic wild Suidae. Since ASF was first introduced in Georgia in 2007, the disease has spread to many countries in Europe, Asia and the Pacific, and in 2021, it was detected in the Caribbean states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, both in the Americas. In much of its Euro-Asiatic range, the African swine fever virus (ASFV) infects wild boar, which sometimes act as the main – if not the only – epidemiological reservoir of the infection, keeping it in the environment regardless of the presence of infected domestic pigs. The presence of the virus in wild boar populations is a continuous health threat for the sympatric domestic pig population, posing a challenge for veterinary and wildlife services that have had little success in attempting to eradicate infections among wildlife, especially in the absence of an effective vaccine. Finally, areas in which ASFV is detected in wild boar remain infected for at least one year after the last recorded case. This is a much longer period than that of domestic animals and puts a strain on the services involved, requiring a considerable amount of work and human and financial resources. The second edition of the handbook provides insights on surveillance and disease management in wild boar based on experiences with ASFV eradication in Belgium and Czechia, as well as other recent experiences in the prevention and control of the disease in wild boar in Europe.

The purpose of document is to provide fact based overview of ASF ecology in the Northern and Eastern European populations of wild boar and briefly describe a range of practical management and biosecurity measures or interventions, which can help stockholders in the countries experiencing large scale epidemic of this exotic disease to address the problem in a more coherent, collaborative and comprehensive way. The handbook should not be viewed as an authoritative manual providing readymade solutions on how to eradicate ASF from wild boar. The facts, observations and approaches described in the document are presented with the intention to broadly inform veterinary authorities, wildlife conservation bodies, hunting community, farmers and general public about complexity of this novel disease and the need to wisely plan and carefully coordinate any efforts aiming at its prevention and control.

This document aims to provide guidance for government officials in: Defining surveillance objectives Establishing ASF-related case definition and reporting criteria Providing examples of potential ASF surveillance methods Identifying various crucial factors in consideration of a surveillance system Evaluating a surveillance system Since its incursion to Asia and the Pacific region, African swine fever (ASF) has shown impacts on food security and economics as the virus is expanding towards more areas and countries in the region. As the disease continues to expand into new territories, preparedness and control activities need to be constantly adjusted to adapt to situations observed in the field that may be contrary to what was expected based on international standards or experiences from other parts of the world. This surveillance guideline provides guidance for government officials in defining surveillance objectives, establishing ASF-related case definitions and reporting criteria, providing examples of potential ASF surveillance methods, identifying various crucial factors in consideration of a surveillance system, and evaluating a surveillance system.

African swine fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease of domestic and wild pigs. The disease has recently become one of the major global concerns for the livestock sector. While eradication remains a distant goal in several endemic countries, updated and science based control strategies are important for mitigating risks and reducing the socio-economic impact of the disease, for protecting the livelihoods of the most vulnerable along the value chain and for ensuring business continuity for the pork industry. To support countries in their endeavor to manage the ASF risk, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), has brought together ASF experts, risk managers, and private sector representatives to provide latest scientific knowledge and consult on recommendations for updated, more effective and sustainable disease management approaches. The consultation was held in FAO HQ in Rome on 12-14 December 2023 and was attended by more than 200 participants in person and online. Key recommendations include addressing human behavior along the value chain; updating international strategies based on scientific evidence; promoting passive surveillance in domestic pigs and wild boars; finding innovative ways for improving biosecurity along the value chain by understanding motivations, disincentives and incentives; foster collaboration between stakeholders and engage the private sector; carefully assess vaccination options; explore the possibility of partial culling; promote and further develop costing tools for better preparedness and economic estimations; promote compartmentalization and regionalization/zoning while working on improved trade strategies.

Over thousands of years, wildlife has coexisted with domestic animals in dynamic systems. The domestic-wildlife interfaces are those physical spaces where wild and domestic species overlap and potentially interact through direct and indirect contact, with the inherent risk of pathogen transmission. The nature of this interface is complex and can significantly vary over time and across landscapes throughout the world. Over the last centuries, processes such as human intervention on agriculture and animal husbandry, industrialization, or globalization have altered ecosystems. These changes often lead to more interconnected interfaces and increased opportunities for the emergence and spread of pathogens because the human population is increasing and expanding, livestock production is therefore increasing to supply the growing food demand, and wildlife, often under the pressure of habitat reduction, is becoming more exposed to these new interfaces.

Given the current worsening of the African swine fever situation worldwide, this field manual will be aimed to assist veterinarians in the prompt recognition and detection of the disease and the immediate control steps at farm level.