Identifying Effective Biosecurity Measures for Preventing the Introduction of Classical Swine Fever in Pig Farms in Japan: Under the Condition of Absence/Presence of Observable Infected Wild Boar

Abstract

The outbreak of infectious diseases in swine, such as classical swine fever (CSF), has become a significant concern in the pig‐farming industry. In Japan, after the re‐emergence of CSF in 2018, farms are now exposed to the risk of transmission from infected wild boar and CSF‐contaminated farms. This study aimed to identify biosecurity measures that were effective for the prevention of CSF introduction into farms during the period from the beginning of the CSF epidemic to the implementation of a vaccination campaign for domestic pigs at risk. The probability of virus introduction was assumed to be increased by the elevated risk from CSF‐infected wild boar and infected farms around the farm. The risk from infected wild boar was represented by the prevalence of CSF in wild boar or the occupancy of 1‐km grid cells with infected wild boar within 10‐km radii from a pig farm and the occurrence of CSF outbreaks on neighboring farms. Conversely, the probability of virus introduction was assumed to decrease in response to on‐farm biosecurity measures being implemented on each farm. The implementation of biosecurity measures on the farms and farm attributes were obtained through a questionnaire survey. Analyses were performed on each farm under the weekly situations where infected wild boar were both absent and present in the vicinity using a binomial generalized linear model. On farms where infected wild boar were not present around farms, daily washing and disinfecting of work clothing in pig houses was identified as the main measure to reduce the risk of CSF introduction into farms. On farms with infected wild boar in the vicinity, the absence of public roads on the farm and preventing wildlife intrusion into the areas where pig carcasses were stored were demonstrated to be effective in preventing CSF introduction. Based on the assumption that strict and comprehensive biosecurity measures are required to prevent CSF introduction, the implementation of these potentially effective measures is worth being prioritized.