A case study of an outbreak of African swine fever in Spain

Abstract

This report represents a case study of an outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) that took place in the autonomic region of Extramadura, Badajoz Province, during the month of August, 1992, and aims to describe the Spanish ASF eradication programme as carried out in the field at producer level. Extensive husbandry methods used in the management of Iberian pigs in ASF endemic areas of Spain (about 4% of Spanish territory in 4/52 provinces) makes eradication particularly difficult. Since there is no vaccine available for ASF, the identification and slaughter of carrier animals is crucial to the control of the disease. A case of ASF, which caused one secondary outbreak, was diagnosed on 26 August 1992 and is described in terms of case history, laboratory examination, disease eradication measures and epidemiological observations. Additional evidence is presented in an attempt to evaluate and gain an understanding of the long-term risk of carrier animals, wild European pigs, vector ticks and biting flies as a cause of the persistence in endemic areas of recrudescence of ASF in areas from which the disease was previously eradicated.