Evidence for exposure of asymptomatic domestic pigs to African swine fever virus during an inter‐epidemic period in Zambia

Research confirms the endemicity of African swine fever (ASF) in Eastern Province, Zambia, and detects ASF virus (ASFV)-infected soft ticks in Southern Province during inter-epidemic periods. The study found a high seroprevalence (50.9%) of ASF antibodies in domestic pigs, significantly higher in indigenous pigs (11.7% ASFV genome prevalence) compared to crossbreds, and identified ASFV genotype I in ticks. Free-range husbandry was strongly associated with infection exposure. Surveillance included serum and blood samples from pigs across provinces and tick collections from Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, analyzed via ELISA and PCR. These findings highlight the persistent threat of ASF in non-endemic regions and the role of soft ticks in virus transmission.

Chambaro, H. M., Sasaki, M., Sinkala, Y., Gonzalez, G., Squarre, D., Fandamu, P., Lubaba, C., Mataa, L., Shawa, M., Mwape, K. E., Gabriël, S., Chembensofu, M., Carr, M. J., Hall, W. W., Qiu, Y., Kajihara, M., Takada, A., Orba, Y., Simulundu, E., & Sawa, H. (2020). Evidence for exposure of asymptomatic domestic pigs to African swine fever virus during an inter‐epidemic period in Zambia. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 67(6), 2741–2752. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13630