USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is hosting its second African Swine Fever (ASF) Action Week from October 10-14. USDA is encouraging U.S. swine producers, small farms and pig owners to join us and learn about ASF and what they can do to help protect the U.S. swine herd.
Although ASF has never been detected in the U.S., the 2021 detection in the Dominican Republic and Haiti means the disease is now the closest to the U.S. that it has been in decades. USDA continues to partner with industry and states to enhance already strong safeguards to protect U.S. swine from this costly disease, USDA said in a release.
“African swine fever is not a threat to human health nor is it a food safety concern,” Jack Shere, APHIS associate administrator and leader of the Agency’s ASF prevention efforts, said in a release. ”But, if introduced here, ASF will kill millions of pigs Americans rely on for food and trade. And, were it to become endemic, it would take us more than 10 years and about $80 billion to eradicate the disease.”
Join APHIS on Twitter, Facebook and its website to learn more about what APHIS is doing, and what you can do, to Protect our Pigs.
Tune in for two special live events:
• Tuesday, October 11: U.S. Mitigation, Live Twitter Q&A
Two ASF subject matter experts will answer questions on Twitter from 2 to 3 p.m. ET.
• Thursday, October 13: The State of African Swine Fever, live webinar with Jack Shere
Shere will host a live webinar on the latest APHIS and industry prevention actions, the U.S. approach to disease mitigation, and address questions collected from U.S. swine producers, small farmers and pig owners from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. ET. To join, register in advance.
Free resources, such as custom videos, downloadable materials and interactive training guides are available at the Protect Our Pigs website.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Wake-Up Call: Pigs Contract Senecavirus A Through Imported Feed
Shocking Surprise: Federal Agents Stop Bologna and Tramadol Smuggling Attempt
Supply Entry Rooms: Reduce the Risk of Virus Introduction on Your Farm
