AGRICULTURE

African swine fever in China continues nationwide march

National Pork Board
Farm Forum

As of early December, China is reporting more than 80 cases of African swine fever (ASF) in 17 provinces and four municipalities, including Beijing, the capitol. Despite the best efforts by Chinese officials, the disease does not appear to be slowing its geographic spread.

At the recent Midwest Pork Conference held in Indiana, state veterinarian, Brett Marsh offered some insight into China’s current status. “We had hoped, of course, with the steps taken by the Chinese government that they could contain the virus,” he said. “That’s clearly not been the case as we continue to get new cases reported in new provinces.”

As reported by Hoosier Ag Today, Marsh says it’s imperative that producers are looking for things that are out of the ordinary or unusual. He says ASF won’t produce blisters on the snout or at the top of the hoof like some other diseases.

Marsh said, “Producers know their swine. They’re with them every day. They’ll know long before someone like me would know (that something is wrong), and so it’s critical that they’re looking for those unusual events.”

Marsh adds that updating your Premises ID will be critical should an outbreak ever occur here in the U.S. He also says there needs to be a strong relationship between you and your vet, and your vet and the state veterinarian’s office.

Other FADs in China

Aside from the battle with ASF, China is also fighting other foreign animal diseases (FADs) such as an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Xinjiang province in the country’s far northwest. The reported case killed 46 pigs and infected 108 of the farm’s 331 pigs. In addition, China still has classical swine fever within its borders despite some improvement with the use of vaccinations. However, no regions have been declared free of the disease.

Status quo for ASF in Europe

Meanwhile in Europe, ASF continues its slow spread primarily via feral pig populations. The virus remains very limited in Belgium, but other nations have wider infections, including Poland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Moldova, Hungary, Romania, the Baltics, Bulgaria and points east. Of course, Africa remains the origin of the virus where herds remain infected.

Key facts to know about African swine fever

Pork is safe to eat. U.S. pigs are not affected by the ASF outbreaks in other countries, to date.

• ASF does not affect humans and therefore is not a public health threat.

• Pork products from animals with ASF are safe to consume.

• As usual, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has measures in place to prevent sick animals from entering the food supply, including if ASF is detected in the U.S.

• As always, you should always follow safe handling and cooking instructions to protect your family’s health.

African swine fever is a highly infectious viral disease impacting only pigs, not people — so it is not a public health threat nor a food-safety concern.

• ASF cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or pork.

• Members of the pig family, including commercial pigs and wild pigs, are the only animals susceptible to the ASF virus.

• ASF can be transmitted to pigs through feeding of uncooked garbage containing contaminated pork products. The Swine Health Protection Act regulates the feeding of food waste containing any meat products to swine, ensuring that all food waste fed to swine is properly treated to kill any disease organisms.

• ASF is easily transmitted to other pigs through direct contact with infected pigs or their waste, contaminated clothing, feed, equipment and vehicles, and in some cases, by blood-sucking insects, including some tick species.

The USDA does not allow importation of swine or fresh pork products into the U.S. from countries or regions that are reported positive for the ASF virus.

• Restrictions are based on APHIS-recognized animal health status of the region and are enforced by regulations.

• A region can be (a) a national entity (country); (b) part of a national entity (zone, county, province, state, etc.); © parts of several national entities combined into an area; or (d) a group of national entities (countries) combined into a single area.

• Proof of disease control and subsequent regionalization is the responsibility of the regulatory authority of the exporting country.

Additional Information

African swine fever is a highly infectious viral disease impacting only pigs, not people so it is not a public health threat nor a food safety concern. The World Organization for Animal health (OIE), of which the United States is a member, considers African swine fever to be a trade-limiting foreign animal disease of swine. Countries with confirmed cases are subject to international trade restrictions aimed at reducing the risk of introduction of the disease through trade. The United States has never had a case of African swine fever and there are strict animal health and import requirements enforced by USDA APHIS Veterinary Services, USDA APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine and Customs and Border Protection to prevent entry into the United States. There is a national response plan for African swine fever that has been developed by USDA Veterinary Services.

In response to the current situation in China and other countries, the National Pork Board has been working closely with the National Pork Producers Council, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the Swine Health Information Center to monitor the situation and collaborate with the USDA.