Remote Sensing Provides a Rapid Epidemiological Context for the Control of African Swine Fever in Germany

Abstract

Transboundary disease control, as for African swine fever (ASF), requires rapid understanding of the locally relevant potential risk factors. Here, we show how satellite remote sensing can be applied to the field of animal disease control by providing an epidemiological context for the implementation of measures against the occurrence of ASF in Germany. We find that remotely sensed observations are of the greatest value at a lower jurisdictional level, particularly in support of wild boar carcass search efforts.

Keywords

• African swine fever
• epidemiology
• remote sensing
• geographical information systems
• risk factor
• risk assessment