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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Jack Shere is reminding pig producers and veterinarians of the signs and symptoms of African swine fever (ASF).
“ASF has never been detected in the United States and we want to keep it that way,” said Shere. “On-farm biosecurity is critical and plans should be evaluated to ensure strict procedures designed to keep animals healthy are being followed at all times.”
USDA accredited veterinarians can review and assess biosecurity plans if needed. Biosecurity training is essential for all farm workers and visitors to understand the significance of disease prevention in order to protect U.S. pigs.
Vigilance is also crucial to disease prevention and USDA wants all veterinarians and producers to recognize the signs and symptoms of ASF:
- High Fever
- Decreased appetite and weakness
- Red/blotchy skin lesions
- Diarrhea, vomiting
- Coughing
- Difficulty breathing
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) urges anyone who suspects sick pigs to report it immediately to their veterinarian, or to State or Federal animal health officials. USDA’s hotline to report foreign animal diseases is 1-866-536-7593.
The United States has always had a system of interlocking safeguards in place to keep foreign animal diseases out of our country. Recent ASF detections abroad prompted USDA to further evaluate these protective measures and take additional steps to prevent ASF from entering the country. USDA restricted imports of pork and pork products from affected countries and works closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection for increased sceenings of visitors and products from high risk countries at U.S. ports of entry.
Tuesday march 21, 2019/ APHIS-USDA/ United states.
https://www.aphis.usda.gov
