Category Archives: Foreign Animal Disease

Dueling animal health priorities converge as US-based rescue groups work to save dogs from the meat trade in China, bringing them to the US and Canada for re-homing. North American pork industry stakeholders worry about the threat of foreign animal disease transmission posed by these pets, particularly African swine fever (ASF) which continues to be a concern in Asia per Swine Health Information Center Global Swine Disease Monitoring Reports. The supplies used in shipment, such as kennels and bedding materials, are of special concern because of their potential to act as vectors for disease transmission.

A China Harbin Laboratory paper describing their analysis of African swine fever virus (ASFV) variants emerging in China as well as media and on-the-ground reports of non-approved vaccine use causing pathology, chronic infection and vaccine virus shedding raised concern. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) asked Dr. Dan Rock, University of Illinois, to help give some interpretation and context to the Harbin Laboratory paper and attenuating mutations of the ASFV genome such as those that could be used in unapproved vaccines. Dr. Rock has extensive research experience focused on exotic viral diseases of high consequence and the molecular mechanisms that underlie viral virulence.

As African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to spread among pigs throughout parts of Asia, Africa and Europe, the U.S Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is helping the scientific community and government decisionmakers get ahead of this devastating animal disease. S&T released today the ASF Master Question List (MQL) a comprehensive resource that provides an up-to-date authoritative summary of publicly available information about the virus to promote coordinated research and improved emergency response preparedness. [Source: Homeland Security 22 February 2021]

Foreign animal diseases (FAD) are a constant threat to the U.S. livestock industry. But the country seems more tuned in to this struggle than ever before with the recent COVID-19 pandemic. National Pork Board’s chief veterinarian Dave Pyburn and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s chief executive officer Ethan Lane shared their perspectives during the Coalition for Epi Response, Engagement and Science (CERES) Biosecurity Infection Disease Symposium at Colorado State University on how prepared the pork and beef industries really are when it comes to the threat of FADs. [Source: Farm Journal’s Pork, 9 February 2021, by Jennifer Shike]

Officials predict costs of an outbreak could be reduced to $15 billion from $50 billion if it was controlled within two years. [Source: Western Producer 28 January 2021, by Barb Glen]

Illegal African swine fever (ASF) vaccine use in China continues, creating concern in the US swine industry. Per a January 21, 2021, report by Reuters, “A new form of African swine fever identified in Chinese pig farms is most likely caused by illicit vaccines, industry insiders say… Two new strains of African swine fever have infected more than 1,000 sows on several farms owned by New Hope Liuhe, China’s fourth-largest producer, as well as pigs being fattened for the firm by contract farmers, said Yan Zhichun, the company’s chief science officer.” USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says there is information about at least two ASF vaccines being used in China, a situation they continue to monitor and acknowledge may change. One of these vaccines circulating in China at this stage has a deletion of only the CD2 gene and the other with deletions of the CD2 and the MGF genes. Based on this information, APHIS fully expects available ASF PCR tests deployed in the US to be able to detect both vaccine strains.

In early January 2021, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists found 88 pounds of prohibited homemade pork sausage in luggage originating in Kosovo at the Newark Liberty International Airport. A CBP canine, Kody, examined the luggage, alerting his handler to its contents. Swine meat is prohibited from Kosovo as per 9CFR94 of USDA regulations. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) applauds this successful event, along with hundreds of similar confiscations annually, as pork products are an identified vector for transmission of foreign animal disease, including African swine fever.

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) continues to receive questions about African swine fever (ASF) prevention and preparedness progress at home as well as what is happening around the world. Canada’s Swine Innovation Porc hosted a webinar titled, “African Swine Fever: How Is Canada Getting Prepared?” in January 2021 and invited SHIC Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg to be a presenter. While Dr. Sundberg discussed US-focused efforts, he emphasized the collaborative nature of several projects, saying it is a North American swine industry in many respects. Other presenters shared information on Canadian African swine fever (ASF) research priorities, actions, diagnostics, risk mitigation, and emergency euthanasia. These experts represent key Canadian pork-related agencies, businesses, and councils.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in Orient Point, NY, have made two important advancements against African swine fever virus (ASFV), which causes a lethal disease in pigs. [Source: USDA Tellus 11 Jan 2021]

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today announced that the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship co-hosted a foreign animal disease planning and preparation workshop with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), with support provided by Iowa State University Center for Food Security and Public Health. The two-day tabletop exercise, held Dec. 15-16, brought state and federal animal health officials, Iowa livestock producers and industry representatives together to test the state’s plans to distribute a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine if an outbreak occurs. [Source: IDALS 16 December 2020]