Pork product imports and risks of virus introduction to the United Kingdom
Background
The pig industry in the United Kingdom is vulnerable to both endemic and exotic viral diseases, that threaten food security, animal welfare, and economic stability.
African Swine Fever Virus (ASFV) is one of the greatest threats because of its a rapid global spread and devastating impact on pig populations
Economic impact
The UK is one of the world's largest pork importers.
Key figures include:
ninth largest pork importer globally, accounting for 4% of global pork imports in 2018
imports worth approximately £1.1 billion annually
approximately 60% of pig meat imports originate from European countries such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands
These pork imports pose a moderate biosecurity risk. However, illegal and personal imports, often involving high-risk animal products represent a greater threat.
An analysis of UK border inspection seizures revealed ongoing biosecurity risks.
In 2019:
15% of confiscated illegal goods contained pork
33% consisted of other meat products
ASFV concerns
ASFV, remains a significant concern. Since its emergence in China in 2018, ASFV has caused catastrophic losses in Asia and Eastern Europe. Outbreaks were reported in Belgium, Sicily, and neighbouring countries.
The UK government currently classifies the risk of ASFV introduction as medium.
According to APHA and DEFRA, illegal pork products enter the UK through passenger luggage and being discarded in areas accessible to wild boar or domestic pigs present a significant biosecurity challenge.
Genomic surveillance at UK borders
Current border inspection methods rely on physical screening and conventional diagnostic tests, which can be;
time consuming
may not detect pathogens that can survive in imported food products
Integrating real-time genomic surveillance at border inspection points (BIPs) offers a transformative approach to detecting exotic viral pathogens like ASFV.
Deploying portable genomic technologies
By deploying portable genomic technologies (For example., MinION, iSeq, MiniSeq), UK authorities could:
identify viral genomes within 24 hours, enabling immediate response and containment
generate genomic epidemiology data to trace the origin and transmission pathways of detected pathogens
combine genomic data with antigen-based 'pen-side' tests to increase the accuracy and reliability of pathogen detection
Addressing operational challenges
Effective surveillance requires optimizing where and how to sample to maximize detection efficiency while minimizing costs. Key challenges include:
targeting high risk containers - with thousands of containers entering UK ports daily, determining which to inspect is critical
sampling strategies - identifying the optimal number of samples and their locations within a container can significantly impact detection sensitivity
sample selection - deciding which components of a meat product to test (for example, meat, bone, blood) is crucial for pathogen identification
Genomic technologies offer scalability and cost efficiencies through methods like pooled sampling and automated processing. However, operational research is needed to develop risk-based models that optimize sampling strategies.
These models would estimate the likelihood of pathogen detection under different sampling conditions and provide confidence levels for each scenario.
Building a decision-support tool
We propose a systematic approach to refine surveillance strategies through direct experimentation and statistical analysis. By varying the intensity and thoroughness of sampling across selected containers, we can empirically collect data to improve risk-based models.
The end goal is to develop a decision support tool that guides border inspectors in selecting high risk consignments and determining optimal sampling protocols.
Conclusion
Integrating real-time genomic technologies into UK border surveillance offers a powerful solution to enhance biosecurity in the pig industry.
By combining rapid pathogen detection with optimized sampling strategies, the UK can strengthen its defence against exotic viral diseases. Also, safeguard both the agricultural sector and national food security.