Dr. Liz Wagstrom, the chief veterinarian with the National Pork Producers Council said addressing the threat by the spread of African Swine Fever in Asia and Europe is an example of how the pork sector throughout North America is working together to manage the disease. 
The spread of ASF throughout Asia and Europe and efforts to prevent its introduction into North America and prepare for an incursion should occur among topics discussed at the recent real and in-person World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa. 
Dr. Wagstrom said pork sector organizations, the United States Department of Agriculture, the North American Meat Institute and several state veterinarians meet weekly to discuss strategies and ensure a consistent approach from state to state. A good example of how North America is working together. 
“Under the chief veterinary officers of Mexico, the United States and Canada put together a North American swine health working group where the governments and the industries are talking together about how to increase biosecurity of the North American continent.” 
To harmonize laboratory techniques so that lab tests run in one country, other countries can accept and look at developing acceptable standards for regionalization of each other’s countries. 
“So that we could discuss trade between the North American countries in the event of an outbreak in any one of them.” 
Dr. Wagstrom said there are multiple discussions every day among stakeholders and regulators to consider ASF prevention and preparation. The more the industry can decide beforehand, the better off everyone will be if something develops. 
African Swine Fever is a take-only disease and not a food safety or human health issue. But, still, the strain of African Swine Fever circulating through Europe and parts of Asia, Europe and Southeast Asia is very virulent. It’s had high mortality killing a lot of animals. So, hence, the concern that it’s considered a foreign animal disease. And as such, it would be one of those trade-limiting diseases if it were to come to the North American continent, both the United States and Canada, being major pork exporters, depending on that export market. 
“We’re not only concerned with the health of the animals and the mortality we might see, but also the loss of export markets.” 
The North American swine health working group looks at the ASF in three ways. First, it prevents entry into the country, early identification if it happens, and having a response plan that could effectively control and eliminate the virus on prevention. Second, also working closely with customs and border protection—supporting the agricultural inspectors and increasing agricultural inspectors that work at airports and border crossings.  
A group of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Swine Health Information Center and the National Pork Board put together a study to look at a biosecurity review of the United States.  
“What are we bringing into the US? How are we moving animals? So it’s industry biosecurity rather than an individual farm biosecurity review. And to identify any areas we might have overlooked that could potentially provide a risk of entry of the virus into the US.” 
On prevention, to encourage USDA to write regulations on the best way to import safely, rescue dogs from ASF fever virus-positive countries.  
“We know the dogs can’t get ASF, but their coats could carry contaminated blood or manure, their crates, the bedding and if they come with dog food, dog food could be a source of ASF.”  
We are also building a response strategy and keeping the rules the same for everyone. What happens on day one? What happens on day three? What happens if a farm is found positive versus a positive pig in a packing plant? 
Dr. Wagstrom said there are two different outbreaks globally. In Europe, ASF is moving from east to west, started in Russia and moved west and primarily a disease of their wild boar population.  
“Some commercial sites became positive but mainly the wild boar population. And that’s a tough scenario because it’s hard to contain and hard to depopulate.”  
In Asia, the outbreak is among the commercial pig production, or at least domestic pig production moving with people as they move commercial pigs. •
— By Harry Siemens