A survey of farm-level biosecurity practices of pig farmers in selected communities affected by African Swine Fever in Umuahia South, Abia State, Nigeria

A survey of biosecurity practices of African Swine Fever affected farms

Abstract

African Swine Fever (ASF) is a transboundary viral infection, that affects domestic and wild pigs with severe socio-economic impact. Nigeria, including Abia State, has witnessed substantial sporadic ASF outbreaks in recent years. Accordingly, the lack of an approved vaccine necessitates strict biosecurity as the only effective tool for preventing ASF in domestic pig farms. This study aimed to determine spatial point locations of pig farms and evaluate the level of biosecurity measures in commercial pig farms located in Umuahia South. A cross-sectional survey of 180 pig farms was conducted, and primary data were collected through face-to-face interviews with farmers and field observation. Spatial point locations of pig farms were captured using Global Positioning System (GPS). Numerical and spatial data were analysed with Stata 14 and ESRI’s ArcGIS 10.8. The survey results showed that 80% (144/180) of the farms had experienced outbreaks, and 98% (113/115) of neighbouring farms reported outbreaks following an outbreak on a nearby farm. The proportion of biosecurity measures, including selling pigs on the farm (95%, 112/118), confirming outbreaks by personal judgment (80%, 76 /95), and practising extensive farming (84%, 78/180), was high; however, the differences were not statistically significant. 

Furthermore, the proximity analysis at 750m, 1000m and 1500m distance radii around 120 pig farms showed that more than 90% of the farms fell within the distance radius, which violates the 3km biosecurity zone and also, reflects the rurality of the study area. In conclusion, the spatial aggregation of farms, coupled with the practice of extensive or semi-intensive farming systems in the study area, supports the continuous dissemination of the ASF virus among domestic pig populations that frequently interact. These conditions make it challenging to implement conventional biosecurity measures effectively.