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The article discusses a study to examine role of wild boars and domestic pigs from Corsica, France in human infection with hepatitis E virus (HEV) through ingestion of contaminated food or direct contact with infected animals. Topics include cases of hepatitis E after ingestion of Corsican specialties made with raw pig liver; a study of blood donors, showing a high HEV seroprevalence in Corsica; and study results suggesting a dynamic exchange of HEV between domestic and wild swine reservoirs.

Background: Increasingly exposed to emerging sanitary risks, extensive livestock farming systems are confronted with the imperative of incorporating biosecurity measures in their production models in order to limit the risk of introduction and diffusion of animal pathogens. Yet, ex-ante assessment methods of the likelihood of biosecurity measures implementation are poorly documented. Our study aimed at comparing alternative methods of elicitation of preferences to assess the attitude of extensive livestock farmers towards biosecurity measures. We used, as a case study, the Regional Porcine Sanitary Plan (RPSP) elaborated for the free-range pig sector of Corsica Island to meet the newly established national disease prevention requirements of France in the face of risk of African Swine Fever introduction., Methods: The RPSP imposed (1) a fencing of the breeding pigs' area, (2) the neutering of the pigs not used for breeding, and (3) a management process of dead pigs' carcasses found on pastures. We evaluated four attributes of the sanitary plan, including (1) proportion of the implementation cost covered by state subsidies, (2) mandatory carcass management, (3) people allowed to neuter gilts, (4) the age limit for neutering. We performed interviews of a sample of free-range pig farmers using three methods in parallel, namely (1) direct qualitative elicitation, (2) attributed-based stated choices and (3) semi-quantitative ranking of attributes., Results: Farmers' preference for a high subsidization of the sanitary plan and for enforcing the neutering of pigs at an early age was consistent across all used methods. Participants expressed heterogeneous preferences for the two other attributes. Half of the respondents were reluctant to entrust veterinarians with neutering gilts while the other half deemed veterinarians' intervention compulsory. Contradictory preferences were obtained on rendering carcass management mandatory depending on the elicitation method., Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the added value of using choice-based methods, where respondents weigh the individual costs and benefits associated with different options, in combination with qualitative or semi-quantitative ranking methods in which farmers express their opinions and give more consideration to their community interest. It also reveals potential issues of heterogeneities among farmers' preferences that need to be taken into consideration in similar surveys., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval consent to participate: The study involved the collection of personal data from human participants and was implemented in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (2016/679) of the European Union concerning the collection and use of personal data. The study was reviewed and approved by an internal review board (AAP 2021) of the Animal Health department of INRAE. The collected data were stored and shared solely among the researchers directly involved in the study (i.e. the co-authors of the article). At the beginning of each interview, an informed consent form (available in supplementary information 4) was presented and explained to the respondent. The interview was conditioned by the signature of the consent form by the participant. The form included a description of the study objectives and the survey procedures, the measures implemented to protect and anonymize the collected data, and to inform the respondent of his rights, including the possibility of interrupting the interview temporarily or permanently. A signed copy of the consent form was safely stored by the study investigators. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

The implementation of regular and relevant evaluations of surveillance systems is critical in improving their effectiveness and their relevance whilst limiting their cost. The complex nature of these systems and the variable contexts in which they are implemented call for the development of flexible evaluation tools. Within this scope, participatory tools have been developed and implemented for the African swine fever (ASF) surveillance system in Corsica (France). The objectives of this pilot study were, firstly, to assess the applicability of participatory approaches within a developed environment involving various stakeholders and, secondly, to define and test methods developed to assess evaluation attributes. Two evaluation attributes were targeted: the acceptability of the surveillance system and its the non-monetary benefits. Individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups were implemented with representatives from every level of the system. Diagramming and scoring tools were used to assess the different elements that compose the definition of acceptability. A contingent valuation method, associated with proportional piling, was used to assess the non-monetary benefits, i.e., the value of sanitary information. Sixteen stakeholders were involved in the process, through 3 focus groups and 8 individual semi-structured interviews. Stakeholders were selected according to their role in the system and to their availability. Results highlighted a moderate acceptability of the system for farmers and hunters and a high acceptability for other representatives (e.g., private veterinarians, local laboratories). Out of the 5 farmers involved in assessing the non-monetary benefits, 3 were interested in sanitary information on ASF. The data collected via participatory approaches enable relevant recommendations to be made, based on the Corsican context, to improve the current surveillance system., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)