News Pigs
African swine fever approaches United States
African swine fever (ASF) has been diagnosed in the Americas. The virus was found in commercially raised pigs on 2 farms in the Dominican Republic. This was announced by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
That the virus has come so close to the United States is a cause for concern. The confirmed case of ASF (located just 1000 kilometers from the US) is the first known case of the virus on the American continent in 40 years. Although the virus has never been diagnosed in the US, the unexpected discovery of the virus in the Dominican Republic indicates the risk of spreading the virus disease. "The proximity of the virus is of course worrying," said Paul Sundberg, director of an organization in the US that is working towards a healthier pig population in the country.
Unknown how virus entered country
It is currently unknown how the virus could have entered the country. The 2 cases were found on 2 different farms that are not close to each other. Sundberg emphasizes that it is of great importance to investigate how the virus made its entrance in the country. "Something happened in the Dominican Republic and we need to find out what so we can make sure it doesn't happen here."
The discovery of the virus has so far had little effect on the pork trade, because the US had already banned imports from the Dominican Republic due to the presence of Classical Swine Fever in the country. USDA has offered to help fight the disease. US Customs will step up controls on flights from the Dominican Republic to ensure no prohibited goods are brought in from the country.
Steve Wissink
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