review · Transboundary and Emerging Diseases
African swine fever control across Eastern, Central and Southern Africa remains uniquely complex because all three known viral maintenance cycles exist there. These include an ancient sylvatic cycle with natural hosts and vectors, alongside domestic cycles that may or may not involve natural vectors. Documentation across the region is uneven, with extensive data in some nations and very little in others. Despite the presence of the disease, regional pig populations have expanded rapidly in response to urbanisation and surging demand for animal protein. Because no vaccine exists, managing the disease currently depends entirely on preventive strategies rooted in epidemiological understanding. Such measures are vital to stop catastrophic outbreak losses and prevent the transmission of the virus to other areas globally. Identifying existing knowledge gaps is necessary to guide effective disease management and support the continued growth of pig farming as an important source of protein and rural wealth.
Rising urban populations are driving strong demand for animal protein, making pig farming an increasingly vital source of food and rural livelihoods. Without effective prevention of African swine fever, outbreaks can wipe out herds and threaten food security. Controlling the disease in endemic regions also protects international livestock supply chains from catastrophic transboundary disease spread.
The work highlights an urgent need for epidemiological evidence to inform preventive management strategies for pig producers and veterinary authorities. Because no vaccine exists and the research focuses on reviewing epidemiological cycles and data gaps, direct commercial products are distant. However, the identified needs could guide the development and deployment of biosecurity protocols, diagnostic strategies, and disease control programmes for livestock managers.
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Control of African swine fever (ASF) in countries in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) is particularly complex owing to the presence of all three known epidemiological cycles of maintenance of the virus, namely an ancient sylvatic cycle involving the natural hosts and vectors of the disease as well as domestic cycles with and without involvement of natural vectors. While the situation is well documented in some of the countries, for others very little information is available. In spite of the unfavourable ASF situation, the pig population in the sub-region has grown exponentially in recent decades and is likely to continue to grow in response to rapid urban growth resulting in increasing demand for animal protein by populations that are no longer engaged in livestock production. Better management of ASF will be essential to permit the pig sector to reach its full potential as a supplier of high quality protein and a source of income to improve livelihoods and create wealth. No vaccine is currently available and it is likely that, in the near future, the sub-region will continue to rely on the implementation of preventive measures, based on the epidemiology of the disease, to avoid both the devastating losses that outbreaks can cause and the risk the sub-region poses to other parts of Africa and the world. The current situation in the ECSA sub-region is reviewed and gaps in knowledge are identified in order to support ongoing strategy development for managing ASF in endemic areas.
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DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13187
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