African swine fever keeps pressuring Nepal’s pig sector

Version 1 — Brief

African swine fever is continuing to spread through Nepal’s pig sector, according to a recent Science in One Health analysis highlighted by My Vet Candy. The study says Nepal has recorded 48 confirmed outbreaks since the country’s first reported ASF detection in March 2022, with 17,005 officially reported pig deaths through June 2025, while the true toll may be closer to 70,000 because of underreporting. Researchers linked spread to swill feeding, informal cross-border trade, weak on-farm biosecurity, and seasonal pressures during the monsoon, while noting broader strain on Nepal’s veterinary system. WOAH also identifies March 2022 as Nepal’s first report of ASF. (myvetcandy.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the Nepal outbreak is another reminder that ASF control depends less on treatment options and more on surveillance, movement controls, diagnostics, carcass management, and practical farm biosecurity. FAO notes there is still no effective treatment for ASF and emphasizes early detection, strict hygiene, safe feed practices, and movement limits as core control tools. In Nepal, those measures are harder to sustain because diagnostic capacity is concentrated centrally, veterinary infrastructure is under-resourced, and affected farmers may avoid reporting when compensation is limited or absent. (fao.org)

What to watch: Watch for whether Nepal expands surveillance, farmer compensation, and community-based biosecurity programs, especially ahead of higher-risk seasonal periods and in border-linked pig production areas. (agris.fao.org)