CSF: a communication crisis?

In the UK, pig farmers have been struggling with an epidemic of Classical Swine Fever (CSF), which was first diagnosed in July 2000. Many pig herds have been affected and thousands of pigs slaughtered. Effective surveillance and correct diagnosis is vital in controlling any epidemic but efficient and widespread communication is also essential if farmers, veterinarians and extension officers are to keep track of the disease.

Disease source

MAFF epidemiologists believe that the source of the CSF outbreak in the UK to have originated from a discarded sandwich containing undercooked or cured meat. Contaminated food is a common way in which swine fever is passed on, says Dr Michael Meredith of the Pig Disease Information Centre, although it is more usually found in pig-swill that has been improperly treated than in meat products. However, swill is generally not used in Britain. Meanwhile, tests have confirmed that the genotype of the virus is the same strain that occurs in South East Asia and it is therefore not the same genotype that was responsible for the epidemic in mainland Europe in 1997.

Diagnosis

credit: David Nyakahuma, FAO

Confusion over diagnosis of similar diseases can cost countries dearly. This was illustrated in Madagascar with the outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in 1998, which was initially suspected to be Classical Swine Fever. Over 50% of all pig herds had to be slaughtered. Both diseases cause fever and bleeding, and ultimately death, in pigs. Very few pigs survive infection and those that do can be contagious. However, whilst CSF is found in many regions and is common in Asia, Europe and South America and can be controlled relatively easily with an effective vaccine, there is no such vaccine for ASF, which is currently present in West Africa, Madagascar and Sardinia, Italy. Another new viral swine disease, which closely resembles CSF and is currently present in the UK, is porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). Many cases of PDNS are being reported as suspected swine fever outbreaks, which is adding to the confusion and to the number of pig herds that have to be tested.

There is a vaccine for CSF that is used in controlling epidemics in Asia and South America, but it is currently banned within the EU to reduce risk of contaminated products and to encourage trustworthiness of pig meat imports. Eradication efforts are therefore reliant on slaughter of infected herds and dangerous contacts, and the movement restriction of all farm animals within a zone of 10km radius.

Communication

Classical Swine Fever had not been present in the UK since 1986, when 10 outbreaks were reported. But, in the current outbreak, 14 farms had cases of CSF confirmed during July-September 2000. With farmers voicing concerns that the epidemic may continue until the end of 2000, there is a question over how well communications technology has been employed in disseminating control procedures to farmers in the UK, a developed country with a well-established infrastructure. And, what implications does this have for developing regions, which also have to battle with surveillance and diagnosis of animal diseases and may lack the wide range of resources to communicate quickly and effectively to all those involved once a disease outbreak has been verified.

In recent years, for example, African Swine Fever has caused devastation to pig herds in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Nigeria, Togo and, most recently, in Madagascar and Ghana. This enormous loss of livestock has serious implications for the food security of these countries. In Ghana, it was only through strict surveillance, particularly at border controls, good public awareness, and with World Bank compensation for slaughtered pigs provided at market price that the outbreak of ASF in October 1999 was brought so quickly under control. However, Senegal continues to suffer small, repeated outbreaks each year, and a serious outbreak of the disease in Gambia, which occurred in April 2000, is currently the main focus for an FAO TCP project.

Lack of resources is often a major constraint to tackling a major disease epidemic. And yet, even with resources, government support is essential to provide the prioritization required in raising public awareness, providing sufficient field staff and developing an effective information network, as well as providing sufficient support and financial compensation to farmers whose livelihoods depend on livestock. If government ministries and officials fail to recognize the implications of a disease problem, the efforts of vets and farmers to eradicate the disease can be severely hampered. As a result, the long-term consequences of an outbreak can become far more serious than is necessary.

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