Common practices and knowledge about African swine fever amongst pig farmers in the Dominican Republic

Abstract: In the summer of 2021, African swine fever (ASF) made its reappearance in the Dominican Republic after 40 years of absence. The disease is known for its high mortality amongst pigs and its consequences for human welfare. To be able to provide relevant advice aiming to limit the spread of disease, it is important to understand more about pig farmers’ knowledge and practices concerning the disease and its prevention. This is poorly researched in the Dominican Republic. Therefore this study was carried out to investigate it further. The study was performed through interviews in five selected areas of the Dominican Republic. The participants were farmers, some of which also worked as meat sellers or veterinarians. A questionnaire containing questions concerning common practices in their pig holdings, encountered diseases, transmission, and prevention of ASF as well as expectations on authorities and consequences of outbreaks was used in the interviews. The study showed that, together with diarrhoea, ASF seemed to be the most commonly encountered disease on the farms. If encountering a disease, most farmers treated sick pigs themselves but contacted veterinarians if further help was needed. The majority vaccinated their pigs and the most common vaccines used were against classical swine fever, mycoplasmosis, and circovirus. Many farmers cleaned their farms regularly and used disinfectants effective against ASF. The awareness of ASF, its symptoms, transmission, and prevention was generally high. Economic loss was the biggest consequence of ASF on a farm. In case of an outbreak of ASF authorities euthanised sick animals and compensated for these according to the participants. Some participants, however, questioned whether this actually was implemented. Economic support was the action most wanted from authorities. These results contribute to a preliminary picture of the practices and level of knowledge of ASF in the Dominican Republic. It can serve to better understand the current situation and guide future research areas.