Sera-surveillance of wild boar in the Netherlands, 1996-1999

From 1996 to 1999, blood samples were collected from wild boar shot during the hunting season in Crown properties, national parks and the free wild li fe belt in the Netherlands. Sera were screened for the presence of antibodi es against classical swine fever virus (CSFV), swine vesicular disease viru s (SVDV), Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) and Trichinella spiralis. The resu lts of the sere-surveillance system indicate that CSFV, SVDV and ADV are un common within the wild boar population. Hence, the wild boar population is not thought to be an important reservoir of these viruses in the Netherland s. Infection with ADV and CSFV is endemic in the wild boar population in Ge rmany. Since contact between the wild boar populations of Germany and the N etherlands cannot be excluded in the southern part of the Netherlands, cont inuation of the sero-surveillance system seems appropriate. In the decade before 1998, no antibodies to Trichinella spp. were found in the wild boar population of the Netherlands. The detection of some seroposi tive animals during the hunting season of 1998-1999 corresponds to the prev ious findings in wild boar before 1988. However, the recent data do not hav e consequences far the pig industry of the Netherlands, since the country h as been considered Trichinella-free for many decades.