Feed as a mechanical vector in the transmission of swine viral diseases

Abstract

The current African swine fever (ASF) epizootic in Europe and Asia has clearly highlighted the crucial role of effective biosecurity in preventing and controlling infectious diseases and in ensuring a high health status of the herd. The role of feed in the mechanical transmission of viral pathogens has long remained unclear, but the unexpected emergence of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in the United States in 2013 led to intensified research efforts aimed at determining the origin of PEDV. Since then, it has been proven that feed and feed materials can play a role of mechanical vectors for many pathogens, including PEDV, ASFV, FMDV, PRV, PRRSV, PVDV, PCV2, CSV and PRV. In light of the potential risk of virus transmission via imported contaminated feed, a number of preventive measures have been developed and experimentally proven to be effective in mitigating the risk. The aim of this study is to summarize the current knowledge on the potential role of feed in the spread of porcine viral pathogens and on the latest efforts aimed at reducing the risk of such transmission.