Whispers of a new threat to the health status of Canada’s swine herd have given way to warning bells in the past few weeks.

Late in September, Alberta Pork and the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network set up a telephone town hall meeting with producers and other stakeholders to describe the looming threat of African Swine Fever (ASF) spreading from both Asia and Western Europe.

There were 750 cases reported in Europe during the late summer and 22 cases in seven provinces in China, Red Deer veterinarian Egan Brockhoff told producers during the call. The largest cull to date was on a Romanian farm that had a herd of 140,000 animals, said Brockhoff.

Originating with wild pigs in Africa, the hardy and highly contagious virus affects pigs of all ages and genders, he said. It causes hemorrhaging of internal organs, vomiting and bleeding from the nose and rectums. Infected pigs may refuse to eat and become depressed.

“It is one of the most severe clinical diseases of on the planet,” Brockhoff said during the meeting. “ASF is recognized . . . (as) a major threat to food security and certainly a significant threat to biodiversity in the world.”

What’s really “terrifying” is that this disease has now spread into Western Europe, showing up on farms in Belgium despite their good biosecurity, said Brockhoff.

Defences are limited and must be utilized properly to keep the virus from entering Canada, he said.

Keeping track of the movement of people and food products will be a key measure. Veterinarians believe the biggest risk will come from people bringing pathogen-bearing food back to Canada after visiting areas where ASF now exists. Brockhoff explained that wild African pigs that carry the disease do not get sick from it, while wild and domestic pigs in Europe and domestic pigs in Canada are susceptible. The mortality rate in an infected herd will vary widely, said Brockhoff.

In one year 8,000 pork products were ceased by US customs.

It takes five to 15 days for an infected animal to show signs of the disease, which makes it more complicated and difficult to find the virus, he said.

Survivability of the virus varies under different conditions: It can last 11 days in contaminated feces, 15 weeks in chilled meat, three to six months in cured meat and indefinitely in frozen products.

Vigilance at borders will be vital to ensure that people do not bring potentially contaminated foods back with them and to make sure they are not bringing the virus into the country by other means, such as contaminated footwear.

The pathogen can also enter via infected genetic materials, food scraps being marketed for feed and feed ingredients. Transfer between animals is typically by oral or nasal exposure, directly and indirectly.

Soft ticks can also pick up the virus and pass it along if they bite infected pigs, which adds an additional risk factor for producers with outdoor stock, said Brockhoff.

Producers are encouraged to make sure their feed or feed ingredignents come from a CFIA approved or regulated site.

There is currently no vaccine or no treatment. Bio security is one hundred percent the best tool against ASF. Brockhoff emphasized that ASF does not pose a food-safety risk to humans, although it is spread by human activities through globalization and the proximity of people and animals.

While efforts are being made to stop potential infections at the border, veterinarians and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are calling on producers to ramp up their biosecurity measures, including keeping track of where people have been when they come to the farm and making sure they are getting their feed and feed ingredients from safe sources.

Through PigTrace there are currently 14,300 sites registered in Canada, of which 6500 are backyard producers. With approximantley 100 sites being added per week, again mostly backyard or outdoor pig sites.

Because foreign animal diseases are reportable, there could be severe ramifications if ASF were found on a Canadian farm, said Brockhoff. The border would be closed, animals would be quarantine and there would be massive interruptions in markets, he said.

Producers are encouraged to get in touch with their provincial boards for details and updates. •

— By Brenda Kossowan