Oral immunization combined with targeted hunting is highly effective in controlling and eradicating endemic classical swine fever in dense wild boar populations.
Control of classical swine fever in wild boar requires reducing the susceptible population below the R0 < 1 threshold, achievable via oral immunization in dense populations or hunting in low-density areas.
Classical swine fever (CSF) is a viral disease with severe economic consequences for domestic pigs. Natural hosts for the CSF virus (CSFV) are members of the family Suidae, i.e., Eurasian wild boar (sus scrofa) are also susceptible. CSF in wild boar poses a serious threat to domestic pigs. CSFV is an enveloped RNA virus belonging to the pestivirus genus of the Flaviviridae family. Transmission of the infection is usually by direct contact or by feeding of contaminated meat products. In recent decades CSF has been successfully eradicated from Australia, North America, and the European Union. In areas with dense wild boar populations CSF tends to become endemic whereas it is often self-limiting in small, less dense populations. In recent decades eradication strategies of CSF in wild boar have been improved considerably. The reduction of the number of susceptible animals to a threshold level where the basic reproductive number is R 0 < 1 is the major goal of all control efforts. Depending on the epidemiological situation, hunting measures combined with strict hygiene may be effective in areas with a relatively low density of wild boar. Oral immunization was shown to be highly effective in endemic situations in areas with a high density of wild boar.
V. Moennig (Fri,) conducted a review in Classical swine fever. Control measures (oral immunization, hunting, trapping) was evaluated. Oral immunization combined with targeted hunting is highly effective in controlling and eradicating endemic classical swine fever in dense wild boar populations.