Swine Health Information Center executive director Dr. Paul Sundberg is confident the first outbreak of African Swine Fever identified in the Western Hemisphere in more than 40 years will not alter North America’s risk level. 
The Dominican Republic became the first region in the Western Hemisphere to get ASF in more than 40 years. 
Dr. Sundberg said they identified the outbreak through a cooperative surveillance program. Banked tissue samples from sick, dying and dead pigs and feral pigs collected in the Dominican Republic went to the USDA’s Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on Plum Island for testing. This lab’s program discovered ASF on the island of Hispaniola, the most significant thing going on right now. It is geography.  
“It doesn’t increase the risk I think, of entry into the U.S. or North America, including Mexico, because of that geography.” 
But it is also important to point out that geography and the processes and controls in place to keep the virus out of the U.S., just like since 2018, working on the things to make sure it stays away. 
So, Customs and Border Protection, for example, and USDA are working together to ensure interdictions at ports of entry where illegal products may come through. 
“USDA heightened up surveillance, and we’re doing the things we need to do to try to ensure as best as possible that we’ll contain that virus on the island and not let it get away from Hispaniola.” 
Dr. Sundberg said the Dominican Republic is taking the necessary action to contain the outbreak. He expects to learn more in the coming weeks about where the virus is, how it got there and the effectiveness of efforts to control it. 
He applauded the sharing of information on ASF by the European Food Safety Authority’s Panel on Risk Assessment for ASF spread. 
The first incursion and reporting of the dreaded fever into the commercial swine herd in Germany happened in mid-July in three outdoor pig farms near Germany’s border with Poland. 
One of the things that is good to note is that the Panel is sharing information. 
They focussed on the risk of spreading ASF through outdoor pig farms. And indeed, with their experience especially in eastern Europe where the virus is in their feral pigs, is in wild boar in eastern Europe, that continues to pose a risk for commercial pigs, especially those in outdoor pig farms. 
One of the recent outcomes is the discovery of ASF in a couple of farms in Germany with that type of production. So that’s the first incursion of ASF into German commercial production. 
They have acted very quickly to contain it, eradicate the pigs from those farms and make sure they’re doing everything they can to prevent its spread to other commercial facilities. 
“I think that’s an illustration of the importance of this risk assessment and of attention for biosecurity in farms that raise pigs outdoors especially, because they may have the opportunity for contact with feral pigs.” 
Dr. Sundberg stressed ASF does not exist in feral pigs in North America, so no risk there.  
“This is an example of making sure that we learn all the lessons we can about this virus and the way it spreads and moves within pig populations in those countries that have it within their borders.” •
— By Harry Siemens