Following the re-introduction of the African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the Americas after 40 years of absence, FAO conducted a qualitative risk assessment for the likelihood of entry of ASF from the Dominican Republic and Haiti to unaffected countries and territories of the Americas and the likelihood of exposure to susceptible animal populations should the disease be introduced. In addition, the potential economic and social impact of ASFV spreading across the continent was assessed. The risk assessment covers the period of December 2021 to February 2022 and considered six risk pathways of introduction and spread. The methodology, information used and results of the risk assessment and economic impact assessment are available in this publication along with recommendations for prevention and control of ASFV introduction and spread in the region. In addition, the publication compiles information collected from 35 countries/territories in the Americas through a questionnaire and presents evidence on the complex swine/pork value chains in the region retrieved from various sources.

African swine fever (ASF) is caused by a virus that is classified as a member of the Iridovirinae family. The disease in the warthog, the natural host, in Africa was described in 1921 by R. E. Montgomery. The reservoir of the vi rus is inti cks. The i ntroduct i on of domestic pi gs into territory occupied by warthogs i nf ected wi th ASF in the 1960's has endangered the pig industry around the world. The domestic pig is highly sensitive to ASF and develops a devastating disease that kills the pig without giving the immune system a chance to defend the animal against the virus infection. The ability of ASF virus to infect and destroy cells of the reticuloendothelial system leaves a defenseless host that succumbs to an infection which may be described as an acquired immune deficiency di sease of domestic pi gs. Introduction of the virus into Iberia in the 1960's led to a series of ASF epidemics in Spain and Portugal . . and later in France, that caused heavy economic losses. Between 1976 and 1960, ASF virus made its appearance in Malta and Sardinia . . as well as in Brazil, The Dominican Republic . . Haiti, and later in Cuba. In 1985-6 . . ASF appeared in Belgium and The Netherlands.

Bluetongue may be described as an acute insect borne disease of ruminants, manifested clinically in sheep by a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous mem branes of the digestive and respiratory systems and associated with degenerative changes in the skeletal musculature. The profound emaciation and weakness which follow the acute disease are responsible for a protracted convalescence and for serious economic losses due to diminished productivity. II. Historical During the early colonisation of Africa, susceptible Merino and other European breeds of sheep were introduced into the Cape, at first by the Dutch East India Company between 1652 and 1785 and again later in 1870. A report of the Cattle and Sheep Diseases Commission (1876) records the appearance of a serious febrile disease amongst these imported sheep in which both morbidity and mortality was high (cited by HENNING, 1949). HuTCHEON (1881) gave this disease the name of "Fever" or "Epizootic Catarrh", in order to distinguish it from other clinical conditions of a similar nature encountered amongst sheep. In the first com prehensive description of this clinical syndrome and its epizootiology HuTCHEON (1902) referred to it as "Malarial Catarrhal Fever of Sheep", a designation which was obviously influenced by the mistaken belief that an intracorpuscular parasite was the primary cause of the disease. More systematic studies were conducted by SPREULL (1902; 1905), who endeavoured to immunize sheep by the simultaneous inoculation of immune serum and infective blood.

This report describes a risk assessment mission in Tuvalu undertaken by the EpiCentre, School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under FAO Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/SAP/3801). The overall aim was to evaluate the risk of introducing the African swine fever (ASF) into Tuvalu and use the findings to propose recommendations that enable professionals, communities and key stakeholders to implement prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of ASF incursion.

This report describes a risk assessment mission in the Federated States of Micronesia, undertaken by the EpiCentre, School of Veterinary Sciences, Massey University, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under FAO Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP/SAP/3801). The overall aim was to evaluate the risk of introducing the African swine fever virus (ASFV) into the Federated States of Micronesia and use the findings to propose recommendations that enable professionals, communities and key stakeholders to implement prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the impacts of African swine fever (ASF) incursion. ASF is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic and wild pigs. It has emerged from Africa, spreading to eastern Europe, China and Southeast Asia. Due to ASF outbreaks in Asia and Papua New Guinea, Pacific Islands countries now prioritise preventing the introduction of ASF. A risk assessment of ASFV introduction is necessary for deciding which preventive actions would be most effective. The assessment of risk was conducted using the OIE import risk analysis framework. The most likely pathway for introducing ASFV into the Federated States of Micronesia was importing unauthorised pork products that international arrival passengers may bring in via airport or searport. Should infected products enter the Federated States of Micronesia, there is a distinct pathway for exposure because pigs are routinely fed food scraps (swill) from households. The likelihood of transmission of ASFV to other susceptible pigs was considered extremely high due to the lack of farm biosecurity and the presence of feral pigs. The assessment method was a systematic, qualitative import risk analysis of ASFV introduction to the Federated States of Micronesia. Results provide information about high-risk areas for ASF introduction, exposure and spread in FSM. They also identify gaps in control and prevention measures. The following steps are being proposed to minimise the likelihood of entry and exposure and the consequence of ASFV introduction.

Trends in Emerging Viral Infections of Swine includes sections on global trade, vaccination regimens against new and emerging viruses, epidemiology and control, as well as significant new outbreaks like the West Nile virus. A contributor to Diseases of Swine, 8th edition, Dr. Zimmerman has selected three additional editors with international expertise.

Several large dsDNA-containing viruses such as poxviruses (smallpox) and herpes viruses are well known among the scientific community, as well as the general populace, because they cause human diseases. The large dsDNA insect-infecting baculoviruses are also well known in the scientific community because they are used both as biological control agents and as protein expression systems. However, there are other large dsDNA-containing viruses, including the giant 1.2 Mb mimivirus, which are less well known despite the fact that all of them play important roles in every day life. Seven of these virus families are reviewed in this book.