The Russian media are reporting cases of African swine fever (ASF) in northeastern regions of China’s Heilongjiang province, specifically affecting Hulin, Mishan and Tsidun cities near the border with Russia’s Primorskiy Kray.
The reports state that Primorskiy Kray health authorities are intensifying veterinary and sanitary controls and are monitoring clinical conditions of wild pigs in the area to prevent movement of the disease across the border into Primorskiy Kray. Russian authorities have also encouraged residents to avoid Chinese pork.
Recent swine-related reporting from Heilongjiang province has focused on the ongoing outbreaks of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in China; however, the Russian sources clearly state that this disease outbreak is caused by ASF.
The USDA’s Center for Emerging Issues (CEI) would like to emphasize that these are Russian media reports only and not from official sources. Although incorrect translation has previously caused errors in disease reporting, this is unlikely to be the case in this instance.
A child is also reported dead in Heilongjiang as a result of a porcine disease. ASF is not a zoonotic disease, but another porcine disease may be the cause of the human fatality.
According to the World Trade Atlas, the U.S. did not import live swine or pork products from China in the past 3 years.
[Thanks to Dr. Pam Zaabel at the National Pork Board for providing this article.]
Source: USDA, CEAH, CEI Alert November 19, 2007