Challenges for ASF control in Nepal
Nepal has not reported the disease as of 25 June 2020 (Acharya &
Wilson, 2020) but the increasing trend of pork imports in the past
several years suggest for the increased odds of virus entry risk in the
country (Knoema, 2019). Apart from annual official import of 8000-10000
pig heads via India and 130 tons of pig products through China,
Thailand, and Denmark, Nepal faces illegal imports of the pig through
the open border coupled with ineffective quarantine (Acharya & Wilson,
2020; Lim et al., 2019). Moreover, Nepal and India share transboundary
wildlife habitats like Chitwan National park and Valmiki Tiger reserve,
Shuklaphanta National park, and Dudhwa Tiger Reserve providing easy
access in the movement of wild boars and increasing the transmission
threat through sylvan routes (Aggarwal, 2019). The ability of the virus
to resist the harsh environmental condition twinned with the traditional
swill feeding system (Sah et al., 2018) to raise pigs can trigger the
havoc impending severe loss in Nepalese pig industry. Besides, the lack
of effective vaccination against ASF, ineffective disease surveillance,
and minimal awareness about the dynamics of the disease transmission
among traditional pig farmers may create complications in disease
control once the virus is introduced (Teklue et al., 2020).