Special Announcement: Fifth Case of ASF in China

This case is relatively small, especially compared to an ASF infected farm in Romania where 140,000 pigs are being killed this week. However, the widespread nature of the reported cases continues to cause concern, as no mechanism of transmission has been reported and, conversely, potential mechanisms suggest the potential for many more cases.  The trade and transport of pigs is, of course, a major concern and should be easily identified through traceback of farm inventories. Contamination of trucks, along with inadequate sanitation should also be relatively easy to trace.

If a connection between the herds is not easily identified, it suggests that there are other contaminated materials that are being transferred between farms, with history showing the most likely being contaminated pork products fed to pigs, people or equipment moving between farms and/or feed ingredients.

The additional concern is that these methods of transmission also increases the likelihood that other countries, including the US, can also be affected.  This risk is exemplified by the fact that South Korea detected evidence of the virus in foods containing pork that were brought in by airline passengers coming back from Shenyang on August 3rd.

The US pork industry organizations have developed a list of actions that could help prevent and then, if needed, respond to an ASF incursion. They have been shared with USDA and urgent work and further discussion about them is ongoing.  Urgent prevention initiatives are prioritized above response initiatives.

Immediate pork producer actions can include: