Risk assessment for the introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV) into the United States

摘要

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease of swine that is transmitted by direct contact between infectious and susceptible animals or indirect contact via Ornithodoros spp. ticks. Some strains can cause extremely high mortality and there is no available vaccine. As such, introduction of ASFV into domestic swine production systems in the United States has the potential to be economically devastating to swine producers. Recent eastward spread of ASF in wild and domestic pig populations from Russia suggests that the range of this virus is increasing and that the US may be at increased risk of introduction. The objective of this study was to assess five different pathways for the virus to enter individual states and Puerto Rico byadapting a framework that had been previously developed for the European Union.