A protocol for external biosecurity assessment against wildlife in intensive pig farms: are we ready for African Swine Fever?

External biosecurity comprises the set of physical and management measures taken to prevent pathogens from entering a farm. Its implementation requires the creation of a protocol for developing Farm-specific Action Plans (FsAPs). This study describes an On-Farm Wildlife Risk Mitigation Protocol that can be applied to a wide range of intensive pig farming conditions and evaluates the risk posed by wildlife-livestock interactions on intensive pig farms in Spain. Our findings suggest that, in intensive pig production, the risk of ASF transmission between wild boar and domestic pig is primarily driven by the presence of wild boar near the farm and via fomites potentially introduced by vehicles or farm personnel. This emphasises the importance of good biosecurity practices as part of staff routines, especially a strict separation between dirty and clean areas at the entrances to farm facilities. Awareness-raising campaigns and training programmes are needed to equip farmers with the knowledge required to make informed decisions about their farms. This study is of significant interest as its results provide a protocol for developing FsAP, an easily transferable tool for disease prevention where intensively produced pigs and wildlife interact. This is particularly relevant in the context of African Swine Fever at the interface between wild boars and pig production. • Practical research on the wildlife-domestic pig interface in intensive production conditions has traditionally been neglected, which is paramount given the current PPA outbreak in Europe • In the present study, we developed an On-farm Wildlife Risk Mitigation Protocol that may be adapted to a variety of intensive production conditions, based on on-farm visits and experts’ weighting factors. On-farm visits consisted of an interview and a field audit, which validated the interviewees’ responses. • When combining both tools, ‘perimeter fence’, ‘vehicle control’ and ‘wild boar abundance’ were stated as the top risk factors for ASF introduction in our study farms through fomites or derived products. • To equip farmers with the knowledge they require to make informed decisions, awareness-raising campaigns and the transfer of the protocol through training programmes are needed.