What are the main routes of transmission of African swine fever?
I believe that whether you are a farmer or a city dweller, you must be completely familiar with the term "African swine fever" by now. Since African swine fever appeared in our country, everyone has been on edge. At first, people thought it had appeared in only one region, but after a while another province was found to have it. So what routes does African swine fever spread through?
1. Transmission through vehicles
Various vehicles that have passed through epidemic areas, or that have carried and transported infected pigs and their pork products, will become sources of African swine fever transmission once disinfection is not strict or thorough. Wherever these vehicles go, they spread the disease. This is an important route of African swine fever transmission.
2. Transmission through people's movement
Anyone who has come into contact with pigs infected with African swine fever and their pork products has a very high possibility of spreading the epidemic. For example, viruses and bacteria may hide in hair, hats, clothes, shoes and socks, bags, and on the skin of the body, and all of these carry a very high possibility of spreading African swine fever.
3. Transmission through pig products
Live pigs and pig products are the main route of African swine fever transmission. For example, if large pig farms have hidden sources of infection, infected live pigs and pork may enter the market after escaping inspection, causing pig-to-pig, pig-to-farmer, pork-to-market, pork-to-farmer, and pork-to-consumer transmission, repeatedly crossing and overlapping, spreading from near to far, from point to area, and from line to area, mutually transmitting and infecting one another. This leads to an increase in transmission routes and accelerates the speed of spread.
4. Transmission through pig feed
After infected pork products flow into the market, consumers carry pork into restaurants and hotels and into the kitchens of countless households. The waste oil and water produced in kitchens usually flows to rural farmers and is used as raw feed for pigs, resulting in a major epidemic and major outbreak of African swine fever. This is currently the most important route of African swine fever transmission and a source of transmission that cannot be ignored.
5. Transmission through natural organisms
Because rural pig farms do not manage pig manure and other waste properly, and disinfection and sterilization are not thorough or strict, various insects, birds, and other small animals may carry pathogens and viruses from infected pig manure and fly to other places, farms, or feed, spreading the disease. In addition, waste such as manure from infected pigs can expand the spread through natural factors such as wind and heavy rainstorms, leading to the rapid spread of the epidemic.