When a storm is brewing on the horizon, you don’t wait until it strikes to close all the open windows. You figure out which windows are open and start closing them one by one until the house is secure. [Source: Farm Journal’s Pork 26 August 2021, by Jennifer Shike]
So when the news hit on July 28 that African swine fever (ASF) had been confirmed in the Dominican Republic, it’s no surprise the U.S. pork industry began closing more windows to keep this deadly virus of pigs out of the U.S.
Although ASF is not a new virus, this is the first time ASF has been in the Western Hemisphere in more than 40 years.
"This is a big deal. I’m not going to minimize that having it closer to the United States is not something to be concerned about," says Liz Wagstrom, DVM, chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC).
But she points out that everyone from government agency leaders to pig farmers is upping their game to keep this disease out of the U.S. swine herd.
"The Dominican Republic has had classical swine fever (CSF) for some time, and it hasn’t spread to Puerto Rico or the other islands. That’s somewhat reassuring. But it’s not something we can just rest on and say, ‘That didn’t spread so we’re not worried about ASF,’" Wagstrom says. "Of course we’re worried about ASF. But we have had some success over the past 50 to 60 years keeping CSF from spreading."
Read the rest of the story in Farm Journal’s Pork.
Read Part 2 of this 3-part series on ASF.
Read Part 3 of this 3-part series on ASF.