The first African swine fever (ASF) virus infection in wild boar was reported in October in 2019 in Yeoncheon-gun. ASF control measures including passive/active surveillance, fencing, or hunting have been applied by the Korean government from the beginning of disease outbreak. Despite significant financial investment in ASF control strategies, the virus has continued to circulate among wild boars up to 2024. A basic reproduction number (R0) can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of ASF control strategy by providing the disease spread speed. During the ASF epidemic period, the spread speed could be estimated with the average number of new cases generated by an infected case. The current study estimated R0 for the 2019/24 ASF epidemics in wild boars in the Republic of Korea by using the daily reported number of ASF cases and the serial interval of ASF virus. The estimated mean R0 was 2.19 (range: 0.03 - 65.00) for the 2019/24 ASF epidemics, 3.05 (range: 0.70 - 10.40) in 2019, 2.01 (range: 0.06 - 9.79) in 2020, 1.94 (range: 0.07 - 7.35) in 2021, 4.71 (range: 0.21 - 61.95) in 2022, 1.93 (range: 0.11 - 7.53) in 2023, and 3.08 (range: 0.09 - 24.59) in 2024, respectively. Despite the ASF control measures, the ASF epidemic situation in wild boars was exacerbated. Targeted wild boar population management and active carcass searches are necessary to reduce the spread of ASF.

Abstract
INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
REFERENCES

• Eutteum Kim(Department of Companion animal industry, Daegu University, Gyeongsan, Korea)
• Son-Il Pak(College of Veterinary Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea) Corresponding author