IARN — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says the USDA’s confirmation of African Swine Fever in the Dominican Republic is very concerning.
Late Wednesday evening, the USDA’s Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed ASF in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic through an existing cooperative surveillance program. Naig tells IARN that USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has numerous interlocking safeguards in place to prevent ASF from entering the U.S.
“A confirmed case of African Swine Fever in the Western Hemisphere is very concerning,” said Naig. “We haven’t seen that now for over 40 years in our neighborhood, so to speak. It is very much a real reminder that African Swine Fever and foreign animal diseases are real threats. We’ve got to take them very seriously.”
In a press release, USDA stated that pork and pork products from the Dominican Republic are currently prohibited entry as a result of existing classical swine fever restrictions. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is increasing inspections of flights from the Dominican Republic to ensure travelers do not bring prohibited products to the United States.
Naig reminds Iowans that ASF cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans.
“We want to make sure that we’re communicating to the general public that there’s no human health or food safety concern associated with African Swine Fever,” said Naig. “Our message to pork producers is that this is a real threat, take them very seriously, and now is the time to be stepping up and enhancing your biosecurity on your farms.”
Naig says a potential spread of African Swine Fever in the United States would be devastating for farmers and the livestock industry.
“Because what it means is it shuts down markets around the world,” said Naig. “We’re (Iowa) a big exporter and we rely on those markets. From a profitability standpoint certainly, that would be challenging. And of course, the health and well-being of the livestock and animals as well is very much a concern.”
USDA says it is committed to assisting the Dominican Republic in dealing with ASF, is offering continued testing support, and will consult with them on additional steps or actions to support response and mitigation measures.
The agency is also offering similar help to Haiti, which borders the Dominican Republic and is at high risk for ASF detections.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
Photo courtesy of the National Pork Board, Des Moines, Iowa
