This study was presented during the conference “Production and Carbon Dynamics in Sustainable Agricultural and Forest Systems in Africa” held in September, 2010.

1. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Impact of Emerging Transboundary Diseases Using
African Swine Fever in Uganda as a specific case
Sofia Boqvist, DVM, Ass Prof., Karl Ståhl, DVM
Dept of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, SLU
ABSTRACT: Pig farming is one of the fastest growing livestock activities in the rural areas of Uganda and has become very
attractive throughout the country as a means of increasing food, income and employment. In addition to the increased local
demand, exported pork generates additional incomes for the farmer and the country. However, infectious diseases such as
African Swine Fever (ASF) represent serious potential constraints to the further development of the pig industry. There are also
concerns regarding the negative effects of livestock production on the global climate, and efficiency of production has been
identified as a key issue. Infectious disease is a major limiting factor for livestock production with severe negative economic
consequences both at micro (smallholder producers) and macro (regional and international) economic levels.
ASF is an economically important and frequently lethal viral disease of domestic pigs. The virus is maintained either through a
sylvatic cycle involving warthogs and soft ticks or in a domestic cycle that involves pigs of local breeds, with or without tick
involvement. Since there is no currently available control measure other than diagnosis and slaughter, the disease poses a
serious constraint to the development of both smallholder and industrial pig industries in Africa. ASF is also perceived as an
important disease based on stakeholder perceptions.
The magnitude of the threat now needs to be better defined through systematic collection of baseline data that will provide a
framework for a more rigorous assessment of the impact of the disease. This two-year project is performed in collaboration
with several partners in Kenya, Uganda and at SLU. The aim is to provide an in-depth assessment of the impact of ASF in
constraining the development of the smallholder pig industry in Uganda at defined benchmark sites. The approach will involve
a combination of participatory epidemiology and molecular characterisation of viral diversity.
DISCUSSION AFTER PRESENTATION: Questions concerned the disease transmission pathways, the possibility of
transmission to humans (it cannot be transmitted to any animals other than domestic pigs) and whether there are any support
systems for affected farmers (there are no such systems and neither do effective survey systems exist, which means that the
authorities are often unaware of outbreaks).

2. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Impact of emerging transboundary
diseases
Using African Swine Fever in Uganda as
a specific case
Sofia Boqvist, DVM, Ass Prof
Karl Ståhl, DVM
Dept of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public Health, SLU

3. • Virological disease
• Cause symptoms in
domestic pigs
• High mortality
• No vaccines
• No treatments
• Emerging trans-boundary
diseases
African Swine Fever (ASF)

4. Transmisson and spread
• Three mechanisms of transmission
– Sylvatic cycle: warthogs – soft shelled ticks
– Domestic cycle: domestic pigs – domestic
pigs
– Domestic pigs –ticks - domestic pigs
• Wild African pig species and soft shelled
ticks are the natural hosts of the virus

5. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Virus host

6. Symptoms
Peracute – acute infection
• Incubation 5-15 days
• High fever
• Inappetens
• Discoloration of the skin
• Very high mortality

7. • Mainly in enzootic areas (areas where
the disease is present)
• Fluctuating fever
• Red discoloration of the skin
• Depression and loss of appetite
• Secondary infections
• Mortality mainly among young
individuals
Symptoms
Subacute – chronic infection

8. Pig production in Uganda
• Exotic pigs were introduced in Uganda in
the 1950s and 1960s
• Today the pig population stands at about
3.2 million pigs
– in Africa second only to Nigeria
• Demand for pork products steadily
increasing
• Production dominated by rural free-range
small holder systems

9. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
ASF in Uganda
APAC
OYAM
AMURU
GULU
PADER
AMURIA
KATAKWI
SOROTI
KIBAALE
KASESE
KANUNGU RAKAI
KABULA MUKONO
W
AKISO
KAMPALA
MUBENDE
KIBOGA
NAKASEKE
NAKASO
NG
O
LA
KAMULI
TORORO
SIRONKO
LUWEERO
IG
ANG
A
JIN
JA
PALLISA
BUTALEJA
MPIGI
MITYANA
KALIRO
100 0 100 200 Kilometers
Districts
ASF distribution
N
District distribution of African Swine Fever 2004
Key

10. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Project objective
• To provide an in-depth assessment of the
impact of African swine fever (ASF) in
constraining the development of the
smallholder pig industry in Uganda at defined
benchmark sites.
• The approach will involve a combination of:
– participatory epidemiology, including farmer interviews
– in-depth field sampling
– molecular characterization of viral diversity.

11. 1. A longitudinal survey of ASF in
domestic pigs in two districts
• This is the key activity in the project.
• Serological study
– This activity will be repeated twice during the
duration of the project
• Questionnaire study
– with the participating farmers/stakeholders

12. Distribution of samples

13. Diagnostic laboratory work, ongoing
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A 0,417 2,703 2,654 2,324 2,343 2,384 2,395 2,207 2,373
B 0,356 2,592 2,13 0,149 2,168 2,163 2,144 2,231 2,224
C 2,176 2,191 2,1 2,009 2,091 2,107 2,091 2,167 2,834
D 2,246 1,969 2,186 2,175 2,19 2,143 2,193 2,131 2,772
E 2,104 1,831 2,161 2,051 2,265 2,06 2,159 2,268 2,839
F 2,234 2,246 1,991 2,165 2,463 2,129 2,176 2,239 2,861
G 2,113 2,189 2,235 2,101 1,953 2,123 2,214 2,182 2,837
H 2,475 2,314 2,19 2,29 2,273 2,265 2,223 2,077 2,935
KYA7:3

14. 2. A study on the role of wild pigs in the
epidemiology of ASF
• Collect and analyse of samples
• Use tracking devices to study the
interaction between wild and domestic
pigs

15. Tracking of bush pigs

16. Tracking of bush pigs

17. 3. A study on virus diversity in the
different hosts
• Domestic pigs
• Buh pigs and wart hogs
• Ticks

18. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Additional components planned in the
project
1. A study on ASF based on abattoir sampling.
2. Outbreak investigations

19. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
Conclusion
• ASF is an example of a TAD of
growing importance for food security
and household income.
• This project will contribute with new
knowledge about the impact and
spread of ASF in Uganda.
• It is highly relevant for Swedish
scientists to study TADs in areas
where they are prevalent.

20. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
This project is funded by SLU
– In their strategy to increase collaboration with
CGIAR institutes.
Institutions involved

21. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
www.slu.se
SLU researchers involved
Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and Veterinary Public
Health, SLU
Ass Prof. Sofia Boqvist, DVM, PhD Karl Ståhl, Prof. Mikael Berg,
Prof. Sándor Belák
Dept. of Clinical Sciences, SLU
Prof. Ulf Emanuelsson
Dept. of Animal Breeding and Genetics, SLU
Ass Prof. Erik Bongcam-Rudloff, PhD student Martin Norling
National Veterinary Institute
Ass Prof. Jean-Francois Valarcher

22. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!!!
Rural pigs, without and with ASF, in
central Uganda October 2010