African swine fever (ASF) has not entered the U.S. thanks to continuing efforts to prevent this deadly swine disease from reaching the country’s borders.
However, ASF continues to affect swine herds globally, entering five new European countries in 2023, according to a report from the Association of Pig Farmers in Germany (ISN).
Countries have been forced to slaughter herds, ban imports on pig products, and implement greater biosecurity measures on farms. Researchers are also working on developing vaccines.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) reports that in the past three years, ASF has been identified in five different regions in 52 countries. It’s currently widespread and endemic in sub-Saharan and parts of western Africa, and has spread through Europe, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and some Asian countries, notably China.
Read the full story at AVMA News.
[Source: AVMA News 8 February 2024]