ASF (African Swine Fever) biosecurity refers to a set of measures and procedures to prevent and control the spread of African swine fever. African swine fever is a serious infectious disease that affects pigs and wild boar. It is caused by the ASF virus and there is no effective treatment or vaccine.

What is farm biosecurity?

Every farmer and animal breeder should familiarize himself with the principles of biosecurity, i.e. what measures and procedures should be implemented to minimize the risk of developing infectious diseases among farm animals. On-farm biosecurity also refers to the maintenance of animal welfare and health. This is a very important element of running a farm, which is related not only to keeping farm animals in good condition, but also to increasing the efficiency of agricultural production.

What is asf biosecurity?

ASF is a serious infectious disease that affects pigs and wild boar, caused by the ASF virus. Due to the lack of an effective treatment and vaccine, biosecurity is crucial to protecting animals.

Biosecurity in this case includes a number of measures and procedures aimed at minimizing the risk of introducing the ASF virus into livestock herds and limiting its spread in the event of an outbreak of the disease.

Biosecurity on the farm – recommendations

The key aspects of asf biosecurity include:

• Access control – limiting the access of unauthorized persons to the farm and areas where animals are kept. Introduction of access control procedures, such as disinfection of shoes and hands before entering the breeding area;
• compliance with hygiene rules – staff working with farm animals should observe strict personal hygiene. Keep hands clean, wear appropriate protective clothing and footwear, and follow cleaning and disinfection procedures;
• safe raw materials – the use of feed and products from uncertain sources should be avoided, as they may be a source of the ASF virus;
• animal movement control – limiting contact with wild animals and avoiding the introduction of new animals into the herd without appropriate testing, quarantine procedures and risk assessment;
• animal health monitoring – regular monitoring of the health status of each animal, with particular emphasis on checking for ASF symptoms; all irregularities should be reported to the veterinarian.