Abstract:
African swine fever (ASF) in domestic pigs has, since its discovery in Africa more than a
century ago, been associated with subsistence pig keeping with low levels of biosecurity. Likewise,
smallholder and backyard pig farming in resource-limited settings have been notably affected during
the ongoing epidemic in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and Caribbean regions. Many challenges
to managing ASF in such settings have been identified in the ongoing as well as previous epidemics.
Consistent implementation of biosecurity at all nodes in the value chain remains most important for
controlling and preventing ASF. Recent research from Asia, Africa, and Europe has provided sciencebased
information that can be of value in overcoming some of the hurdles faced for implementing
biosecurity in resource-limited contexts. In this narrative review we examine a selection of these
studies elucidating innovative solutions such as shorter boiling times for inactivating ASF virus
in swill, participatory planning of interventions for risk mitigation for ASF, better understanding
of smallholder pig-keeper perceptions and constraints, modified culling, and safe alternatives for
disposal of carcasses of pigs that have died of ASF. The aim of the review is to increase acceptance
and implementation of science-based approaches that increase the feasibility of managing, and the
possibility to prevent, ASF in resource-limited settings. This could contribute to protecting hundreds
of thousands of livelihoods that depend upon pigs and enable small-scale pig production to reach its
full potential for poverty alleviation and food security.
