scholarly journals A Review of Risk Factors of African Swine Fever Incursion in Pig Farming within the European Union Scenario

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Silvia Bellini ◽  
Gabriele Casadei ◽  
Giorgia De Lorenzi ◽  
Marco Tamba
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
European Union ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
Pig Farming

African swine fever (ASF) is a notifiable viral disease of pigs and wild boars that could lead to serious economic losses for the entire European pork industry. As no effective treatment or vaccination is available, disease prevention and control rely on strictly enforced biosecurity measures tailored to the specific risk factors of ASF introduction within domestic pig populations. Here, we present a review addressing the risk factors associated with different European pig farming systems in the context of the actual epidemiological scenario. A list of keywords was combined into a Boolean query, “African swine fever” AND (“Risk factors” OR “Transmission” OR “Spread” OR “Pig farming” OR “Pigs” OR “Wild boars”); was run on 4 databases; and resulted in 52 documents of interest being reviewed. Based on our review, each farming system has its own peculiar risk factors: commercial farms, where best practices are already in place, may suffer from unintentional breaches in biosecurity, while backyard and outdoor farms may suffer from poor ASF awareness, sociocultural factors, and contact with wild boars. In the literature selected for our review, human-related activities and behaviours are presented as the main risks, but we also stress the need to implement biosecurity measures also tailored to risks factors that are specific for the different pig farming practices in the European Union (EU).

scholarly journals Analysis of Risk Factors for African Swine Fever in Lombardy to Identify Pig Holdings and Areas Most at Risk of Introduction in Order to Plan Preventive Measures

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1077
Author(s):  
Silvia Bellini ◽  
Alessandra Scaburri ◽  
Marco Tironi ◽  
Stefania Calò
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
At Risk ◽  
European Union ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Pork Products ◽  
Pig Farms

In 2019, the area of the European Union (EU) affected by African swine fever (ASF) expanded progressively in a southwestern direction from Baltic and eastern countries. The disease can severely affect and disrupt regional and international trade of pigs and pork products with serious socioeconomic damages to the pig industry. Lombardy is one of the most important European pig producers and the introduction of ASF into the pig population could adversely affect the entire sector. A study was carried out to identify the farms and territories in the region most at risk of ASF introduction to plan preventive measures. The pig holdings were identified through a descriptive analysis of pig movements and Social Network Analysis (SNA), while, for the identification of the most exposed municipalities, an assessment of risk factors was carried out using the ranking of summed scores attributed to the Z-score. From the analysis, it was found that 109 municipalities and 297 pig holdings of the region were potentially more at risk, and these holdings were selected for target surveillance. This information was provided to veterinary authority to target surveillance in pig farms, in order to early detect a possible incursion of ASF and prevent its spread.

scholarly journals The Use of Lupin as a Source of Protein in Animal Feeding: Genomic Tools and Breeding Approaches

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Abraham ◽  
Ioannis Ganopoulos ◽  
Panagiotis Madesis ◽  
Athanasios Mavromatis ◽  
Photini Mylona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Quality ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Antinutritional Factors ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Biotic And Abiotic Stress ◽  
Livestock Farming ◽  
Alternative Source ◽  
Genomic Tools ◽  
Animal Feeding

Livestock production in the European Union EU is highly dependent on imported soybean, exposing the livestock farming system to risks related to the global trade of soybean. Lupin species could be a realistic sustainable alternative source of protein for animal feeding. Lupinus is a very diverse genus with many species. However, only four of them—namely, L. albus, L. angustifolius, L. luteus and L. mutabilis—are cultivated. Their use in livestock farming systems has many advantages in relation to economic and environmental impact. Generally, lupin grains are characterized by high protein content, while their oil content is relatively low but of high quality. On the other hand, the presence of quinolizidine alkaloids and their specific carbohydrate composition are the main antinutritional factors that prevent their use in animal feeding. This research is mainly related to L. albus and to L. angustifolius, and to a lesser extent, to L. lauteus and L. mutabilis. The breeding efforts are mostly focused on yield stabilization, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, biochemical structure associated with seed quality and late maturing. Progress is made in improving lupin with respect to the seed quality, as well as the tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. It has to be noted that modern cultivars, mostly of L. albus and L. angustifolius, contain low levels of alkaloids. However, for future breeding efforts, the implementation of marker-assisted selection and the available genomic tools is of great importance.

scholarly journals Intimate partner violence against young women: prevalence and associated factors in Europe

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 (7) ◽  
pp. 611-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Belén Sanz-Barbero ◽  
Patricia López Pereira ◽  
Gregorio Barrio ◽  
Carmen Vives-Cases
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
European Union ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Fundamental Rights ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
The European Union

BackgroundThe magnitude of intimate partner violence (IPV) in young women is a source of increasing concern. The prevalence of IPV has not been analysed in Europe as a whole. The objective was to assess the prevalence and main characteristics of experiencing physical and/or sexual and psychological-only IPV among young women in the European Union and to identify individual and contextual associated risk factors.MethodsWe analysed a cross-sectional subsample of 5976 ever-partnered women aged 18–29 years from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Violence Against Women Survey, 2012. The main outcomes were current physical and/or sexual IPV and lifetime psychological-only IPV. Risk factors were assessed by the prevalence ratio (PR) from multilevel Poisson regression models.ResultsCurrent prevalence of physical and/or sexual IPV was 6.1%, lifetime prevalence of psychological-only IPV was 28.7%. Having suffered physical and/or sexual abuse by an adult before age 15 was the strongest risk factor for IPV (PR: 2.9 for physical and/or sexual IPV, PR: 1.5 for psychological-only IPV). Other individual risk factors were: perceived major difficulties in living within their household income (PR: 2.6), having children (PR: 1.8) and age 18–24 years (PR: 1.5) for physical/sexual IPV and immigration background for psychological-only IPV (PR: 1.4). Living in countries with a higher prevalence of binge drinking or early school dropout was positively associated with IPV.ConclusionsFindings show that the fight against violence in young women should consider individual characteristics, childhood experiences of abuse and also structural interventions including reduction of alcohol consumption and improvement in the education-related indicators.

Proposal for a more efficient subsidy system for organic farming: Potential use of the tax system within the European Union

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 148-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enno Bahrs
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Organic Farming ◽  
Current System ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Performance Ratio ◽  
The European Union ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
The Individual

AbstractAgricultural enterprises that are run on ecological principles receive, in some countries, higher levels of financial support from the European Union (EU) than other agricultural businesses. The aim is to provide an incentive for businesses to adopt organic farming systems, a change desired by both politicians and society. However, with a fixed system of support payments based on land area, increasing the proportion of farms being run organically leads directly to higher costs of subsidies for the EU and the individual countries. This becomes especially true if enterprises with large land areas, high turnover and high income are converted to organic farming methods. Because financial resources within the member states are in very short supply, a modification of the current system of subsidies would seem to be necessary in the near future. The aim of any new system should be to reduce profit windfalls without making a drastic reduction in the incentive effect of the current system. At the same time, businesses that can run along these lines on a sustainable basis should be especially supported. This requires an increased level of individual assessment of the potential of the subsidized enterprises in relation to their cost–performance ratio for organic agricultural production. In this connection, a partial change to profit-based tax systems can be used as an effective instrument for co-financing. The method used to calculate profits for tax purposes, which varies from state to state, can be used to assess the performance and success of the organic farmer. Tax-free allowances or reductions in tax rates could be used to provide a selective subsidy method. The ability to relate subsidies to performance, thereby reducing windfall profits, is not the only advantage of using the tax system for this purpose. Another advantage is the low transaction costs. Using the example of the offsetting of profits between time periods, it will be shown here that the tax system can be used as an additional instrument for subsidization. The existing methods of subsidy can only be supported in this way, not completely substituted.

A review of fluorosis in the European Union: prevalence, risk factors and aesthetic issues

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (s1) ◽  
pp. 9-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helen P. Whelton ◽  
Clare E. Ketley ◽  
Fiona McSweeney ◽  
Denis M. O'Mullane
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
European Union ◽  
The European Union

scholarly journals THE PORK MARKET IN POLAND AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

2019 ◽  
Vol XXI (4) ◽  
pp. 504-513
Author(s):  
Elżbieta Szymańska
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Dominant Position ◽  
Pork Production ◽  
Trade Turnover ◽  
Foreign Trade Turnover ◽  
Pork Consumption ◽  
The Eu

The aim of the study was to evaluate the live pig market in Poland against the background of the EU. The analysis included the production volume, foreign trade turnover of pork, consumption level, pork purchase prices and cost production. The study used CSO storage and Eurostat data. A valuable source of information was the literature of the subject. Comparative and correlation analysis were used in the study. The analysis show that Poland is one of the most important producers of pork in the European Union. In terms of pork production Poland takes 4th place in the EU after Germany, Spain and France. In Poland, pork also has a dominant position in the structure of meat consumption. In 2017, the average consumption of this type of meat was about 40 kg per person, and was higher than the EU average. The sector of live pig production in Poland is very fragmented. In such countries as Germany or Denmark the production of live pig has greater concentration. The price of live pig in Poland is based on EU prices. They are lower than in Germany, but higher than in Denmark. National pork production is compensated by import. Since mid-2007, Poland is a net importer of pork in terms of meat. In addition, the import of live animals, especially from Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark is increasing. The economic situation on the live pig market from 2014 year was hindered by African swine fever. In order to increase competitiveness, it is necessary to concentrate production and improve its efficiency.

scholarly journals Trade and Cooperation Agreement Between the EU and the UK: Conditionality Versus Sovereignty

2021 ◽  
Vol 102 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-16
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Babynina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Transition Period ◽  
Trade Agreement ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Customs Union ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Cooperation Agreement ◽  
British Case ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Eu

The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, 2020. On December 31, 2020, the transition period ended, during which all EU rules and regulations applied to Britain. The trade agreement was reached in record time, but it is too early to talk about long-term mutual benefits. The British case in the system of trade and economic agreements of the European Union is unique. On the one hand, at the time of the negotiations, the UK retained EU law, was a member of the EU Single Internal Market and Customs Union, subject to the jurisdiction of the EU Court of Justice. On the other hand, the EU for the first time found itself in a situation when a third country was determined to distance itself as much as possible from EU rules while concluding a trade agreement, despite the obvious economic losses. At the same time, both sides understood that the absence of an agreement threatened all interested actors with serious losses, and that it must be concluded. As a result, the compromise text of the TCA reflects the fundamentally different approaches of the parties to bilateral cooperation, and its provisions suggest a change of its format in the future.

scholarly journals African Swine Fever Outbreak Investigation on Large Commercial Pig Farm in Serbia

2021 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229
Author(s):  
Milijana Nešković ◽  
Bojan Ristić ◽  
Rade Došenović ◽  
Siniša Grubač ◽  
Tamaš Petrović ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Wild Boars ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Risk Period ◽  
Pig Farms ◽  
Pig Farm ◽  
Sources Of Infection ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
The City

Abstract The first confirmed case of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Serbia occurred in 2019. Since then, numerous outbreaks in domestic pigs and wild boars have been reported. Until April 2021, all the detected ASF cases were in backyard pigs. Beside backyard and smallholders farming systems as a dominant pig production system in Serbia, large commercial pig farms can also be found, located mostly in villages. In the beginning of April 2021, a large commercial farrow-to-finish pig farm in Serbia with almost 19,000 animals was affected with the ASF virus. The pig farm analysed in this paper is located in an area where ASF was confirmed earlier in both backyard and wild boars. In this study, we describe the overall epidemiological course of the ASF outbreak. Epidemiological investigation using a hypothesis-based approach was conducted in order to reconstruct the disease course until the official notification. All the available data from the farm were analysed with the aim to determine the high-risk period (HRP). Some of the key points to consider when it comes to the sources of infection and entry route of ASF are the following: contamination of the area in the immediate vicinity of the farm, risky human activities, irregularities and some omissions in the external farm biosecurity and immediate proximity of the city waste-yard where the communal waste is disposed of. It was concluded that when commercial pig farms are surrounded by villages with a large number of backyards, hence the anthropogenic factor is the key risk factor for ASF spreading.

scholarly journals Identification of spatiotemporal patterns of African swine fever behavior in wild boar in the European Union

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
pp. 132 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Iglesias Martin ◽  
A. Pickford ◽  
F. Montes ◽  
C. Jurado ◽  
M.J. Muñoz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Wild Boar ◽  
African Swine Fever ◽  
Spatiotemporal Patterns ◽  
The European Union
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