African Swine Fever Virus Transmission and Control: The Role of Wild and Domestic Suids

Dear Colleagues,

African swine fever (ASF) is a contagious viral disease with mortality rates of almost 100% in domestic pigs and European wild boars. In contrast, wild African suids such as warthogs and bush pigs are generally asymptomatic. As one of the most widely consumed meats, pork offers an affordable and low-input source of high-quality protein, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Efforts to control the disease by interrupting transmission pathways rely on a comprehensive understanding of the factors driving spillover between sylvatic hosts and domestic suids, along with those limiting control once the virus has been introduced to domestic pigs. Whilst a number of universal factors are known to contribute to inefficient control in pigs, including late detection, limited funds for compensation and animal husbandry practices, drivers of inter-species transmission and multi-host spread are less well understood and are likely to differ regionally. This Special Issue attempts to address knowledge gaps in the transmission and spread of ASF in endemic and newly affected areas by addressing a broad range of ASFV infection dynamics, including, immune response, transmission pathways and virus pathogenesis in pigs. In addition, approaches shown to mitigate risk and to limit spillover and spread, inclusive of virus detection methods suited to resource-constrained settings that are heavily impacted by ASF, are particularly welcome.

Dr. Juanita Van Heerden
Prof. Dr. Armanda Bastos
Guest Editors

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