Infectious disease outbreaks pose a significant threat to the animal supply chains in Europe. The bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) outbreak in the 1990s and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in 2001 highlighted the need for the meat industry in Europe to ensure the control of animal trade and prevent the spread of infectious diseases among their livestock.
The consumption of pork in Austria, which is the most consumed meat in the country, carries a particular risk of spreading infectious diseases. As of 2021, the average per person consumption of pork stood at 34.2kg. This makes it crucial for the Austrian pig value chain to address the potential threats posed by “exotic” diseases like African swine fever (ASF), classical swine fever (CSF), and FMD.
A recently published study in the journal Scientific Reports investigated the interconnections within the pork industry, including slaughterhouses, logistics posts, and farms, to assess the risk of infectious disease spread. However, the analysis did not focus on slaughterhouses due to their limited impact on infectious disease transmission.
The study collected data on pork trades between January 2015 and December 2021, recording 40,951 pig holdings and 1,917,584 movement records. Austria was found to have a highly self-contained pork industry, with minimal trade activity outside the country. This self-sufficiency in pork production, with a production rate of 103% to meet domestic demand, contributed to the low levels of pork export.
Notably, the movement of pigs in Austria was mainly confined within its states, with only 8.4% occurring between states. Moreover, the study discovered that the majority (62.9%) of farms were small-scale with four pigs or fewer, while large farms with 2000 pigs or more accounted for only 0.25% of the total. Styria and Upper Austria emerged as regions with a high concentration of farms.
When assessing the disease potential within the pork supply chain, the study revealed that the limited connectivity of the Austrian pig trade network could actually decrease the spread of infectious diseases during outbreaks. However, regions like Upper Austria and Styria, which had a significant trading activity and dense clusters of closely linked farms, were identified as more vulnerable to disease outbreaks.
The study identified certain “hubs” with a high number of connections to the rest of the supply chain, which could act as effective spreaders of infectious diseases. Despite the increased risk associated with these hubs, the overall concentration of links in limited areas helps reduce the likelihood of infectious diseases across Austria’s pork supply chain.
In addition to connectivity, the study found that temperature also influenced disease spread, emphasizing the importance of considering seasonality in disease control strategies for the pig industry.
Moving forward, the study suggests implementing targeted measures in regions with higher farm density and trading activity, such as Upper Austria and Styria, to reduce vulnerability to infectious disease outbreaks. Furthermore, enhancing biosecurity practices and risk management strategies in highly connected premises and considering factors like high-farm density, connectivity, seasonality, and the presence of communities will be critical in designing effective infectious disease surveillance and control strategies.
Overall, while the study indicates a low potential for infectious disease transmission in the pork supply chain as a whole, there are opportunities for manufacturers to improve the system. By focusing on specific regions and adopting measures to enhance biosecurity and risk management, the vulnerability to disease outbreaks can be minimized.
Source: Scientific Reports
‘Network analysis of pig movement data as an epidemiological tool: an Austrian case study’
Published on: 14 June 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36596-1
Authors: G. A. Puspitarani, R. Fuchs, K. Fuchs, A. Ladinig & A. Desvars-Larrive
