Not Just Pictures: Utility of Camera Trapping in the Context of African Swine Fever and Wild Boar Management

African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease affecting all suids and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Since 2007, ASF has spread to more than 30 countries in Europe and Asian regions, and the most recent outbreak has been in mainland Italy (reported on January 2022). When the genotype II of the ASF virus infects a population, a mortality rate close to 90% is usually reported. This drop in wild boar abundance produces a cascade effect in the entire ecosystem. In this context, effective monitoring tools for deriving management parameters are a priority aspect, and the utility of camera trapping could have been overlooked. Here, sampling the infected area in north Italy, we showed the utility of camera traps in the context of ASF infection. Specifically, we used 43 camera traps randomly distributed to (i) estimate movement parameters and population density of wild boar, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and wolf (Canis lupus); (ii) quantify wild boar recruitment; and (iii) assess whether the human restriction rules are being met. On the first spring after the outbreak detection, our results for wild boar indicated a density of 0.27 ind·km−2 ± 0.11 (standard error, SE), a daily activity level of 0.49 ± 0.07 (i.e., 11.76 h·day−1), a daily distance travelled of 9.07 ± 1.80 km·day−1, a litter size of 1.72 piglets·group−1, and a 72% of pregnant females. Despite human outdoor activities being restricted in the infected zone, we recorded human presence in 19 camera traps. The wide range of parameters estimated from the camera trap data, together with some intrinsic and practical advantages of this tool, allows us to conclude that camera traps are well positioned to be a reference approach to monitor populations affected by ASF. The population-specific parameters are of prime importance for optimizing ASF control efforts.

Efficient oral vaccination program against classical swine fever in wild boar population

Classical swine fever is a disease that infects wild boars and pigs and had a significant negative economic impact on the swine industry. Oral vaccination is an effective method for controlling classical swine fever. However, information on oral vaccination program has been limited, and its efficiency has not been clarified in Japan. The purpose of this study was to determine the seasonal variation in factors affecting the ingestion of oral vaccines by wild boars. The Gifu Prefecture oral vaccination program was initiated in March 2019, and by February 2021, six seasonal programs had been conducted. We investigated the relationship between the ingestion of oral vaccines by wild boar and pre-baiting, vaccination event, environmental and topographical factors in six vaccination events in three seasonal programs (summer 2019, winter 2019-2020, and spring 2020). This study showed that pre-baiting and the repeated vaccination events were more important factors for the ingestion of oral vaccines by wild boars than topographical and land use factors. Thus, it is a possibility that habitat selection of wild boars is irrelevant in increasing the feeding rate of wild boars on oral vaccines. Consequently, wildlife managers should not only conduct pre-baiting and repeated vaccination events, but also identify areas where wild boars are more abundant immediately prior to oral vaccination programs. To increase the effectiveness of vaccination, it is important for wildlife managers to first implement estimating wild boar density in their habitat areas, followed by efficient oral vaccination programs depending on their densities. Thereafter, they should specifically consider the influence of ingestion by other species and differences in feeding rates by age class.