With finding African swine fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, animal health officials and producers (both nationally and locally) have intensified their focus on biosecurity in order to ensure the safety of domestic pigs in the United States.
ASF is a highly contagious viral disease affecting domestic and feral swine of all ages. The virus is hardy and can remain viable in feed ingredients or improperly cooked pork products for months. Since there is no vaccine or effective treatment for ASF, the disease would have a devastating impact on U.S. pork producers. Direct losses of infected animals and the immediate loss of the international trade market would cost producers billions of dollars in the first two years alone. For context, exports accounted for approximately 25% of 2020 pork production.
However, despite the threat to U.S. swine and their marketability, ASF is not a threat to human health, cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans, and does not pose a food safety risk.
Situational Overview
Prior to the first detection of the disease in the Dominican Republic, ASF had been spreading in other countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa since 2018. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been conducting surveillance in the Dominican Republic and tests samples quarterly. In July, some samples collected earlier in the spring revealed the presence of ASF. Currently, it is believed at least 2,200 pigs were affected by 24 outbreaks of ASF in the Dominican Republic since spring.
On September 21, the USDA announced the discovery of ASF in Haiti, which borders the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola. The positive case was collected from a pig in a province that directly borders the Dominican Republic, and the sample was tested by the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratories through a cooperative testing program. While unfortunate, this detection is not unexpected due to the porous border between the two countries.
These detections are the first discovery of ASF in the Western Hemisphere in nearly 40 years. Previously, when the disease was detected in the Caribbean, ASF was quickly eradicated. To date, ASF has never occurred in the United States.
Layers of Response
In order to further safeguard the United States from ASF, various interlocking layers of response are being strengthened and/or implemented.
USDA has ramped up testing in the Dominican Republic and is stepping up lab capacity there. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has increased surveillance of cargo and travelers, including proper disposal of garbage from airplanes arriving from Hispaniola.
International travelers could unknowingly bring ASF to the U.S. Therefore, they should not visit farms, premises with pigs (including zoos), circuses, pet stores with pot-bellied pigs, or any other facility with pigs for at least five days after returning from travel. Travelers should also not bring pork or pork products to the United States from Hispaniola or any other region with ASF as it could carry the virus. All items brought from people’s travels should be declared when entering the U.S. Travelers should visit the APHIS traveler page to know what items can be brought into the United States.
In addition to these more national efforts, swine producers are encouraged to review their biosecurity plans and protocols, as they are the best preventative measures against ASF. Veterinarians should work with producers to assess biosecurity plans and make improvements as needed.
The Latest Precautions
On August 6, APHIS officials announced immediate restrictions on the importation of dogs from countries with ASF. Importers now need to:
- Affirm dogs and shipping containers are free of dirt or other organic bedding
- Dispose of all bedding traveling with the dogs at certain post-entry concentration points
- Have dogs microchipped with International Organization for Standardization-compliant microchips, and those chips must be verified
- Bathe dogs at the post-entry concentration points within two days of arrival in the U.S.
These restrictions are particularly notable in light of the earthquake in Haiti as rescuers might bring in dogs from that country to the U.S., which could potentially introduce ASF to the U.S.
On August 26, 2021, USDA announced as part of its continuing efforts to respond to the detection of ASF, it is preparing to establish a Foreign Animal Disease protection zone in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. USDA is taking this additional action to further safeguard the U.S. swine herd and protect the interests and livelihoods of U.S. pork producers.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) provides for the establishment of a protection zone within an area free of disease, as a temporary measure in response to an increased risk from a neighboring country or zone of different animal health status. Once the OIE recognizes the protection zone for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, USDA will work to confirm that individual countries recognize and accept the zone. The recognition will ensure the continued flow of U.S. pork and live swine exports.
Stay Vigilant
Even with all these protections in place, it is critically important to remain vigilant. If you see increased mortality while on swine farms or pigs with symptoms of ASF (high fever; decreased appetite and weakness; red, blotchy skin or skin lesions; diarrhea and vomiting; and coughing and difficulty breathing), please contact MDARD at 800-292-3939 (daytime) or 517-373-0440 (after-hours) and be sure to speak to a staff member.
Also, please reach out to MDARD if you hear reports of pets or rescued animals that have travelled from the Dominican Republic or Haiti.
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