Category Archives: Foreign Animal Disease

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory has confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic through an existing cooperative surveillance program. [Source: USDA 28 July 2021]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that the Dominican Republic (DR) has confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF). The cases were confirmed as part of a cooperative surveillance program between the United States and the DR. The United States remains free of ASF – an animal disease affecting only pigs with no human health implications – and imports no pork, animal feed or other pork production-related products from the Dominican Republic. [Source: NPPC 28 July 2021]

On July 28, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic confirmed the presence of African swine fever (ASF) after learning the results of tests on 389 samples collected from pigs raised on farms and in backyards sent to the USDA – Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (Plum Island) through an existing cooperative surveillance program.

Government departments across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will test African swine fever (ASF) contingency plans in Exercise Holly to learn how to contain and supress the deadly pig disease. [Source: The Pig Site 20 July 2021]

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) Swine Disease Fact Sheet Library continues to be updated. This process, part of SHIC’s mission to protect the health of the US swine herd, provides guidance and resources for producers, practitioners, and diagnosticians who are on the front lines of swine health concerns. Most recently, updated fact sheets on high path porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (HP-PRRSV) and Ebola virus were posted. While each fact sheet was thoroughly updated, taxonomy and epidemiology sections for both viruses saw the greatest change.

Confirmation of African swine fever (ASF) on three farms in eastern Germany, where restriction zones already exist, was widely reported in industry press the week of July 12, 2021. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) confirmed the diagnoses. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) continues to monitor the situation and will have detailed information in the August Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report to be published in the Center’s newsletter on August 4, 2021. All three affected farms are near the border with Poland.

Plan for the worst; hope for the best. That’s good advice for many situations but particularly accurate when it comes to African swine fever (ASF). [Source: The Pig Site 21 July 2021]

Another research project on African swine fever (ASF) in Vietnam, made possible by a USDA Foreign Agricultural Service grant obtained by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) with support from the National Pork Producers Council, is complete. This project examined an ASFV control measure involving a tooth extraction, or test-and-remove, protocol. Commonly, a tooth extraction protocol for a sow farm involves removing any sow exhibiting clinical signs compatible with ASF along with the two sows in stalls on each side of the index animal. The results of this study suggest tooth extraction test-and-remove is not a reliable way to eliminate ASF from a pig farm.

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) learned the USDA has approved blood swabs and spots as samples for official African swine fever (ASF) testing during foreign animal disease (FAD) investigations. These are an important addition to antemortem samples previously approved since August 2018; the full list of approved samples includes whole blood, tonsil, spleen, lymph node, spleen swabs, blood swabs and blood spots. While important additions, more work needs to be done to fully integrate blood swabs and blood spots into the ASF/CSF active surveillance program as well as the ASF Red Book. The process is ongoing. SHIC will continue to monitor developments and share progress with stakeholders interested in ASF testing protocols.

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) continues to review and update Swine Disease Fact Sheets posted on its website as part of its mission to protect the health of the US swine herd. The information in updated fact sheets provides guidance and resources for producers, practitioners, and diagnosticians who are on the front lines of swine health concerns. Most recently, fact sheets on Nipah virus (NiV) and porcine rubulavirus (PoRV) were posted.