One Coin, Two Sides: Eliciting Expert Knowledge From Training Participants in a Capacity-Building Program for Veterinary Professionals

Enhancing passive surveillance for African swine fever detection on U.S. swine farms

As the threat of African swine fever (ASF) introduction into new areas continues, animal health officials and epidemiologists need novel tools for early detection and surveillance. Passive surveillance from swine producers and veterinarians is critical to identify cases, especially the first introduction. Enhanced passive surveillance (EPS) protocols are needed that maximize temporal sensitivity for early ASF detection yet are easily implemented. Regularly collected production and disease data on swine farms may pose an opportunity for developing EPS protocols. To better understand the types of data regularly collected on swine farms and on-farm disease surveillance, a questionnaire was distributed in summer 2022 across multiple channels to MN swine producers. Thirty responses were received that indicated the majority of farms collect various types of disease information and conduct routine diagnostic testing for endemic swine diseases. Following this, a focus group discussion was held at the 2022 Leman Swine Conference where private and public stakeholders discussed the potential value of EPS, opportunities for collaboration, and challenges. The reported value of EPS varied by stakeholder group, but generally participants felt that for swine producers and packers, EPS would help identify abnormal disease occurrences. Many opportunities were identified for collaboration with ongoing industry initiatives and swine management software. Challenges included maintaining motivation for participation in ASF-free areas, labor, data sharing issues, and the cost of diagnostic testing. These highlight important issues to address, and future collaborations can help in the development of practical, fit-for-purpose, and valuable EPS protocols for ASF detection in the swine industry.

Assessment of the Risk of Foot and Mouth Disease among Beef Cattle at Slaughter from East African Production Systems

Endemic foot and mouth disease (FMD) in East African cattle systems is one factor that limits access to export markets. The probability of FMD transmission associated with export from such systems have never been quantified and there is a need for data and analyses to guide strategies for livestock exports from regions where FMD remains endemic. The probability of infection among animals at slaughter is an important contributor to the risk of FMD transmission associated with the final beef product. In this study, we built a stochastic model to estimate the probability that beef cattle reach slaughter while infected with FMD virus for four production systems in two East African countries (Kenya and Uganda). Input values were derived from the primary literature and expert opinion. We found that the risk that FMD-infected animals reach slaughter under current conditions is high in both countries (median annual probability ranging from 0.05 among cattle from Kenyan feedlots to 0.62 from Ugandan semi-intensive systems). Cattle originating from feedlot and ranching systems in Kenya had the lowest overall probabilities of the eight systems evaluated. The final probabilities among cattle from all systems were sensitive to the likelihood of acquiring new infections en route to slaughter and especially the probability and extent of commingling with other cattle. These results give insight into factors that could be leveraged by potential interventions to lower the probability of FMD among beef cattle at slaughter. Such interventions should be evaluated considering the cost, logistics, and tradeoffs of each, ultimately guiding resource investment that is grounded in the values and capacity of each country.

Self-Reporting of Risk Pathways and Parameter Values for Foot-and-Mouth Disease in Slaughter Cattle from Alternative Production Systems by Kenyan and Ugandan Veterinarians

Countries in which foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic may face bans on the export of FMD-susceptible livestock and products because of the associated risk for transmission of FMD virus. Risk assessment is an essential tool for demonstrating the fitness of one’s goods for the international marketplace and for improving animal health. However, it is difficult to obtain the necessary data for such risk assessments in many countries where FMD is present. This study bridged the gaps of traditional participatory and expert elicitation approaches by partnering with veterinarians from the National Veterinary Services of Kenya (n = 13) and Uganda (n = 10) enrolled in an extended capacity-building program to systematically collect rich, local knowledge in a format appropriate for formal quantitative analysis. Participants mapped risk pathways and quantified variables that determine the risk of infection among cattle at slaughter originating from each of four beef production systems in each country. Findings highlighted that risk processes differ between management systems, that disease and sale are not always independent events, and that events on the risk pathway are influenced by the actions and motivations of value chain actors. The results provide necessary information for evaluating the risk of FMD among cattle pre-harvest in Kenya and Uganda and provide a framework for similar evaluation in other endemic settings.