Original Research

Overview of the perceived risk of transboundary pig diseases in South Africa

Japhta M. Mokoele, Leana Janse van Rensburg, Shanie van Lochem, Heinz Bodenstein, Jacolette du Plessis, Chris A.P. Carrington, B. Tom Spencer, Folorunso O. Fasina
Journal of the South African Veterinary Association | Vol 86, No 1 | a1197 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jsava.v86i1.1197 | © 2015 Japhta M. Mokoele, Leana Janse van Rensburg, Shanie van Lochem, Heinz Bodenstein, Jacolette du Plessis, Chris A.P. Carrington, B. Tom Spencer, Folorunso O. Fasina | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 11 June 2014 | Published: 22 May 2015

About the author(s)

Japhta M. Mokoele, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Limpopo Department of Agriculture, FCM Building Groblersdal, South Africa
Leana Janse van Rensburg, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
Shanie van Lochem, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; Preventicare Veterinary Consultancy, Pretoria, South Africa
Heinz Bodenstein, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; CS Vet, Menlopark, South Africa
Jacolette du Plessis, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa; National Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, South Africa
Chris A.P. Carrington, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa
B. Tom Spencer, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria
Folorunso O. Fasina, Department of Production Animal Studies, University of Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Pig production is one of the most important animal agricultural activities in South Africa, and plays a definite role in providing food security for certain population groups in the country. As with all animal production systems, it is subject to the risk of outbreak of transboundary diseases. In the present overview, evaluations of the perceived risk of selected transboundary animal diseases of pigs, as collated from the willing participants from the provincial veterinary services of South Africa, are presented. A scenario tree revealed that infected but undetected pigs were the greatest perceived threat. The provincial veterinary services, according to participants in the study, face certain difficulties, including the reporting of disease and the flow of disease information amongst farmers. Perceived strengths in surveillance and disease monitoring include the swiftness of sample despatch to the national testing laboratory, as well as the ease of flow of information between the provincial and national agricultural authorities. The four factors were identified that were perceived to most influence animal health-service delivery: transport, access, livestock policy and resources. African swine fever was perceived to be the most important pig disease in South Africa. Because the decentralisation of veterinary services in South Africa was identified as a potential weakness, it is recommended that national and provincial veterinary services need to work together and interdependently to achieve centrally controlled surveillance systems. Regionally-coordinated surveillance activities for certain transboundary diseases were identified as needing priority for the southern African region. It is proposed that an emergency preparedness document be made available and regularly revised according to the potential risks identified on a continuous basis for South Africa.

Keywords

Pig; disease risk; South Africa; transboundary; infectious

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