Dr. Egan Brockhoff, a veterinarian with the Canadian Pork Council, said the threat of African Swine Fever (ASF) continues to be a concern for Canada’s pork industry.
Brockhoff said this virus continues to move throughout the world, and in Germany, it is moving in the wild pig population.
He said the Canadian pork industry continues to work with ASF prevention strategies, and preparedness work ongoing. Also on how to handle market surplus in the face of an ASF outbreak because it would disrupt the markets. Work continuing on market access tools like zoning agreements and compartmentalization agreements.
Dr. John Carr, a world livestock consultant, veterinarian, and lecturer, agrees with Dr. Brockhoff but made some observations. ASF does not continue throughout the world. There are 24 different types, as normal are present in sub-Sahara Africa.
“Type 1 in Sardinia continues since the 1970s but it now really in localized spots on the island and largely confined to feral (wild) pigs,” said Dr. Carr. “Type 2 continues to slowly move through the areas where it is endemic regularly found among particular people or in a certain area and will continue for decades in these areas until governments and pig production policies change.”
He said ASF had infected the European wild boar, and Poland’s spread is primarily associated with illegal pig movement by hunters.  A problem which would be extreme in North America.
The real risk to America (South and North) and Western Europe is still basically the same today as it was years ago.
“The lack of control of PED illustrates the weakness of the biosecurity measures in the United States.”

However, both Dr. Carr and Dr. Brockhoff said the spread of ASF occurs by carelessness and some stupidity.
“It spreads through stupidity, it’s not easy to spread it, but it spreads through stupidity,” said Carr. “Some guy from the Philippines brings in some Chinese pork for his mom. We see it on border patrol, and sometimes it’s people not aware that what they’re doing is wrong.”
These people aren’t criminals, they’re grannies who are just bringing in some excellent, beautiful pork from the Philippines for her son, coming here on holiday. Most like she spent half the week preparing the sausage for him.
“We take things for granted, but there are some acts that we do that seem reasonably innocent, but it’s a bloody good way of spreading African Swine Fever,” said Dr. Carr.
The Canadian Pork Council reminds pork producers, particularly small scale backyard producers, of the risks posed by feeding kitchen scraps to pigs.
The global spread of African Swine Fever has heightened North America’s risk increasing the need for ongoing biosecurity.
Dr. Brockhoff said the risk posed by feed remains a concern.
“We want people to be aware of where they’re sourcing their products. Are they from a country that is free of ASF or from a country that is positive for ASF,” he said. “Whether it be your soy products or your vitamins and minerals, we want everyone to consider that.”
Does the producer’s feed mill participate in a biosecurity program? Are they part of the Canadian Feed Assure Program?

“We remind people that in Canada, under the Health of Animals Act, we’re not permitted to feed meat or meat by-products or food suspected to contain meat or by-products to swine or poultry,” said Dr. Brockhoff. “Because the Health of Animals Act prohibits the feeding of meat or meat by-products, we don’t have any of those moving through our commercial feed mills or any of our commercially available feed products.”
He said it might occur if someone is feeding kitchen scraps to their animals. Pigs are a great recycler, but many people forget it is illegal to provide kitchen meat scraps to them.
“We constantly have to be reminding people not to feed meat and meat by-products to their pigs.”
Dr. Brockhoff said pig owners want to protect Canada’s pig herd’s health and are cooperative in following the Health of Animals Act. Still, he receives notes almost every day from people who are not aware they could not feed meat or meat by-products to their animals. •
— By Harry Siemens

I am reminded of a expression that I have heard more then
once lately. Should gosh forbid ASF come to Canada and
our border closes. “We can’t eat our way out.”
As Canada exports 70% of it’s hog production there would be way to many pigs to consume.
Laurie Brandly