• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.257-270
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• 2021

Since African swine fever (ASF) spread to East Asia, a fatal crisis has occurred in the global pig industry, because Asia is dominant in pig production. Although some studies conducted bibliometric analysis on ASF, few studies compared research networks, and identified subthemes by major keywords. To fill this gap, this study identified the knowledge structure network of the research, its influence, and core research themes by utilizing the bibliometric analysis of 337 ASF-related journal articles over 50 years from 1970 to 2020 on the Web of Science. The result indicated that papers are mainly published in the fields of veterinary science, virology, microbiology, infectious disease and applied microbiology, and in particular, the fields of veterinary science and virology showed unrivaled weights as they account for 73.40%. With regard to cooperative relationships, European countries such as the UK, Germany, Italy, and Denmark, centered on Spain, are actively contributing to the ASF research. China, France, Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea are leading research cooperation, centering on the United States. In the early stage of the studies, major keywords appeared to be related to outbreaks, quarantine and diagnosis, and in the middle stage, the keywords were expanded to a wide range of pig diseases. Recently, the keywords are becoming more diverse towards antibodies, cross-border transmission and disease monitoring. Based on data on major keywords related to ASF, this study proposed discussions and implications for activating ASF research including genotype, protein, vaccine, diagnosis, defense against infection and epidemiological investigation.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.17.1-17.10
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• 2022

Background: Inspection of livestock farms using surveillance cameras is emerging as a means of early detection of transboundary animal disease such as African swine fever (ASF). Object tracking, a developing technology derived from object detection aims to the consistent identification of individual objects in farms. Objectives: This study was conducted as a preliminary investigation for practical application to livestock farms. With the use of a high-performance artificial intelligence (AI)-based 3D depth camera, the aim is to establish a pathway for utilizing AI models to perform advanced object tracking. Methods: Multiple crossovers by two humans will be simulated to investigate the potential of object tracking. Inspection of consistent identification will be the evidence of object tracking after crossing over. Two AI models, a fast model and an accurate model, were tested and compared with regard to their object tracking performance in 3D. Finally, the recording of pig pen was also processed with aforementioned AI model to test the possibility of 3D object detection. Results: Both AI successfully processed and provided a 3D bounding box, identification number, and distance away from camera for each individual human. The accurate detection model had better evidence than the fast detection model on 3D object tracking and showed the potential application onto pigs as a livestock. Conclusions: Preparing a custom dataset to train AI models in an appropriate farm is required for proper 3D object detection to operate object tracking for pigs at an ideal level. This will allow the farm to smoothly transit traditional methods to ASF-preventing precision livestock farming.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.14.1-14.10
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• 2020

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease of domestic pigs and wild boars (WBs). Without a vaccine, early antibody and antigen detection and rapid diagnosis are crucial for the effective prevention of the disease and the employment of control measures. In Sardinia, where 3 different suid populations coexisted closely for a long time, the disease persists since 1978. The recent ASF eradication plan involves more stringent measures to combat free-ranging pigs and any kind of illegality in the pig industry. However, critical issues such as the low level of hunter cooperation with veterinary services and the time required for ASF detection in the WBs killed during the hunting season still remain. Considering the need to deliver true ASF negative carcasses as early as possible, this study focuses on the evaluation and validation of a duplex pen-side test that simultaneously detects antibodies and antigens specific to ASF virus, to improve molecular diagnosis under field conditions. The main goal was to establish the specificity of the two pen-side tests performed simultaneously and to determine their ability to detect the true ASF negative carcasses among the hunted WBs. Blood and organ samples of the WBs hunted during the 2018/2019 hunting seasons were obtained. A total of 160 animals were tested using the pen-side kit test; samples were collected for virological and serological analyses. A specificity of 98% was observed considering the official laboratory tests as gold standards. The new diagnostic techniques could facilitate faster and cost-effective control of the disease.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4_spc
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• pp.755-774
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• 2024

The main objective of this study was to present data on the current situation and future trends of pig meat production in the European Union-27 (EU). Pig production has played an important social and economic role for centuries in many states of the EU. In 2022, pig meat production in the EU reached 23 M tons, which represented 21% of total production worldwide. The two key reasons that justify such amount of pork produced, are the acceptance and high consumption of the meat by the local population and the high quality of the meat produced which facilitated pork export. However, current data show a reduction in pork production for the last three years, as a consequence of a series of events that include i) problems with the chain of ingredients supply, ii) uncontrolled increase in African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks, iii) fast recovery of pig production in China, iv) increasing concerns by the rural population on the high cost to meet future requirements of the EU legislation on farm management, environmental sustainability and animal welfare, v) increased cost of all inputs involved in pig production and vi) limited interest of the new farmer generation to work on the pig sector. Consequently, pork production is expected to decrease in the EU for the next years, although sales will be maintained at a relative high level because pork is the meat preferred by local consumers in most EU countries. In order to maintain the favourable position of the pork industry in the near future, strategies to implement include: i) maintain the quality of the meat destinated to export markets, ii) improve the control of outbreaks of ASF and other swine diseases, iii) implementation of technological innovations to improve working conditions making more attractive to work in the pork sector of the food chain to the new generation of farmers and workers.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.267-271
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• 2020

The emergence of highly contagious viral diseases of livestock and poultry such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), African swine fever (ASF) and highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI) have necessitated the formulation of policies and regulatory frameworks for preventing ingress of exotic diseases and controlling dissemination of endemic diseases within the country. The disease control ratings to manage contagious livestock disease in farms have not being widely used because the evaluation parameters were not being considered inappropriate. The purpose of this study was to reinforce the validity of the parameters for evaluation factors and the objectivity of the scoring criteria in the application of the current disease management rating system. The diseases subject to intensive management were improved by reflecting farm situation. For the evaluation based on the disease grading system of farms, the diseases subject to intensive management were realized, the list of diseases for evaluating the vaccination rate was revised, and the quarantine and sanitation management standards were revised. The effectiveness of the improved livestock disease management system was confirmed through the application of actual pig farms. Therefore, this system will be used as a means to evaluation the biosecurity at the farm units. Through this, it will contribute to establish effective biosecurity measures for each farm by improving and supplementing the present disease grading system.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4_spc
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• pp.786-793
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• 2024

Latin America is a culturally, geographically, politically, and economically diverse region. Agriculture in Latin America is marked by a remarkable diversity of production systems, reflecting various agroecological zones, farm sizes, and technological levels. In the last decade, the swine industry increased by 30.6%, emerging as a great contributor to food security and economic development in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico dominate the pig production landscape, together accounting for 70% of sow inventory in the region. The swine industry in Latin America is predominantly comprised of small and medium-sized farms, however, in the past 30 years, the number of pig producers in Brazil dropped by 78%, whereas pork production increased by 326%. Similar to the global pork industry, the growing demand for pork, driven by population growth and changing dietary habits, presents an opportunity for the industry with an expected growth of 16% over the next decade. The export prospects are promising, however subject to potential disruptions from global market conditions and shifts in trade policies. Among the challenges faced by the swine industry, disease outbreaks, particularly African Swine Fever (ASF), present significant threats, necessitating enhanced biosecurity and surveillance systems. In 2023, ASF was reported to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Venezuela, and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) in Mexico, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Ecuador. Additionally, feed costs, supply chain disruptions, and energy expenses have affected mainly the smaller and less efficient producers. The swine industry is also transitioning towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly practices, including efficient feed usage, and precision farming. Ensuring long-term success in the swine industry in Latin America requires a holistic approach that prioritizes sustainability, animal welfare, and consumer preferences, ultimately positioning the industry to thrive in the evolving global market.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 2022

African swine fever (ASF) is a fatal viral disease in pigs, with a short incubation period and causing immediate death. Few studies exist on the Asian epidemic ASF virus (ASFV) challenge in older pigs, including growing and fattening pigs and sows. We aimed to investigate clinical outcomes, pathomorphological lesions, and viral distribution in organs of 3-month-old growing pigs that were inoculated with the ASFV isolated in Vietnam. The clinical outcomes were recorded daily, and the dead or euthanized pigs immediately underwent necropsy. Viral loads were determined in 10 major organs using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The average incubation period in growing pigs was more delayed (5.2±0.9 dpi) than that in weaned pigs, and the clinical signs were milder in growing pigs than in weaned pigs. The digestive and respiratory clinical signs in growing pigs showed at the end period of life, but these were observed at an early stage of infection in weaned pigs. The pathomorphological features were severe and nonspecific with hemorrhagic lesions in various organs. The viral loads in organs from growing pigs were higher than those from piglets, and the number of viral copies was related to gross lesions in the tonsil and intestine. In the absence of vaccines against ASF, early clinical detection is important for preventing the spread of the virus. Our findings elucidated that the clinical signs and gross lesions in growing pigs differed from those in weaned pigs, which provide valuable information for diagnosis of pigs with suspected ASF infection.

• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2020

The ASF, which originated in Africa and threatens the world, landed in Asia in 2018 in China, and became a stern threat to the security of the Korean Peninsula when North Korea officially reported the ASF to the OIE in May 2019. In 1921, Montgomery, a British veterinary pathologist, made headlines by naming the African swine fever "African Swine Fever," or ASF, a disease caused by a high fatality virus that existed in East Africa. The ASF, which was a pandemic of endemic diseases in Africa, landed in Portgal around 1957 and swept through farms in Lisbon, Portugal. The ASF continued to settle in Spain and Portugal, causing 40 years of damage until the end of the 1990s, and is now in progress after landing on the Italian island of Sardinia in 1978. The virus, which landed in Portiport of Georgia on the Black Sea coast of the Black Sea in 2007, spread to Russia and caused massive damage to China in 2018, then rapidly spread to Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar in May 2019 and spread across the country, causing massive damage to the pork industry and is now in progress. Just three months after confirming the outbreak in North Korea, the outbreak at farms in Paju and Yeoncheon was confirmed on Sept. 16, 2019, leaving South Korea with the stigma of ASF-causing countries, and although the ASF's nationwide expansion has been blocked, it is currently underway in wild boars. If the ongoing ASF in the two Koreas becomes indigenous, it would be a major disaster not only for the pork industry but also for the Korean Peninsula economy. Under the current circumstances, it is impossible to focus only on veterinary areas limited to South Korea, ruling out risk factors from the ASF outbreak. Currently, it is difficult to prevent damage to the pork industry due to the ASF outbreak due to the poor water defense reality in North Korea, and as it is adjacent to China, which has a high risk of developing various epidemic diseases, there is a need for the two Koreas to jointly conduct quarantine and quarantine on the border areas. First of all, I think rapid exchange of information and education on ASF and other diseases is necessary before establishing a joint defense system on the Korean Peninsula. It is important to conduct thorough quarantine and disinfection of ASF-generated areas in North Korea, and areas bordering China and Russia, and jointly conduct thorough quarantine and control of livestock and livestock products in circulation. Cooperation by the South and North Korean water defense industries to prevent the protracted ASF on the Korean Peninsula by all means and methods is essential.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.3_spc
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• pp.321-337
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• 2021

The global population has increased with swift urbanization in developing countries, and it is likely to result in a high demand for animal-derived protein-rich foods. Animal farming has been constantly affected by various stressful conditions, which can be categorized into physical, environmental, nutritional, and biological factors. Such conditions could be exacerbated by banning on the use of antibiotics as a growth promoter together with a pandemic situation including, but not limited to, African swine fever, avian influenza, and foot-and-mouth disease. To alleviate these pervasive tension, various immunomodulants have been suggested as alternatives for antibiotics. Various studies have investigated how stressors (i.e., imbalanced nutrition, dysbiosis, and disease) could negatively affect nutritional physiology in chickens. Importantly, the immune system is critical for host protective activity against pathogens, but at the same time excessive immune responses negatively affect its productivity. Yet, comprehensive review articles addressing the impact of such stress factors on the immune system of chickens are scarce. In this review, we categorize these stressors and their effects on the immune system of chickens and attempt to provide immunomodulants which can be a solution to the aforementioned problems facing the chicken industry.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.59-66
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• 2023

Wild boar is closely related to domestic pigs in terms of genetic homogeneity and the possibility of a source of infection by contact. This study investigated the prevalence of viral diseases from wild boars inhabiting Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. A total of 374 blood samples were collected and subjected to antigen tests to detect African swine fever virus (ASFV), Porcine circovirus type-2 (PCV2), Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). For seroprevalence, PCV2, PRRS, classical swine fever virus (CSFV), Aujezsky's disease (ADV), and foot and mouth disease virus (FMDV) were investigated. The antigenic analysis revealed 73 positive cases (19.5%) for PCV2, while no positive cases for ASFV and PRRSV. For the antibody test, 225 (60.2%), 2 (0.5%), and 48 (12.8%) cases were detected against PCV2, PRRSV, and CSFV, respectively. There were no antibodies detected against both ADV and FMDV. Our results suggest that the viruses infecting both wild boar and domestic pig, mainly PCV2, are circulating in the wild boar population thus, the consistent monitoring of prevalence in wild boar will be needed for transboundary spillover to the domestic pig.