Protecting the U.S. from African swine fever (ASF) remains a top priority of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). In a recent release, APHIS announced some of it’s most successful efforts to protect American agriculture and natural resources over the past year.
“APHIS has worked hard this last year to address vulnerabilities in our food system and create more, better, and fairer markets for producers and consumers alike,” Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary Jenny Lester Moffit said in a release. “We’re focused on ensuring that all Americans have consistent access to the safe, nutritious, affordable food we all need to be healthy.”
Some of the major 2021 accomplishments include:
Protecting the U.S. from ASF
For several years, APHIS has closely monitored ASF, a highly contagious and deadly viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, as it spread across Asia and Europe. The only way at this time to stop it is to depopulate all affected or exposed swine herds. Early detection is the key to controlling, containing and eliminating ASF, APHIS said in a release. While ASF has never been found in the U.S. and does not threaten public health, an introduction would devastate U.S. pork producers, their communities and the economy. APHIS has instituted a series of interlocking safeguards to prevent ASF from entering the country and is working closely with states and industry to develop and refine plans in case of an outbreak. APHIS confirmed ASF in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in 2021. APHIS deployed employees to the Dominican Republic to provide advisory services and help test samples and train staff. APHIS is also working with the Haitian authorities to expand surveillance to better determine the scope of the problem. APHIS created a “protection zone” around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to help keep the disease from spreading to those locations, mobilized additional staff to Puerto Rico to support the domestic swine monitoring response, is working on a large-scale eradication program for feral swine in Puerto Rico and began a major outreach campaign in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to ensure citizens, producers and travelers know what actions to take to keep from unknowingly introducing the virus.
Animal Surveillance During COVID-19 Pandemic
APHIS played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic in helping to understand the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in and among animals and humans, APHIS said in a release. In 2021, the agency conducted surveillance in wildlife as part of One Health investigations with state and federal partners to identify species that may serve as reservoirs or hosts for the virus, as well as understand the origin of the virus, and predict its impacts on wildlife and the risks of cross-species transmission. APHIS captured and sampled wild and free-roaming animals near SARS-CoV-2 infected mink farms in four states, expanding understanding of the disease and how it is transmitted among domestic and wild animals. APHIS also collected and tested samples for exposure to SARS-CoV-2 from white-tailed deer across four states detecting antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in 33% of the samples. None of the deer populations surveyed showed signs of clinical illness associated with SARS-CoV-2. In the year ahead, the agency said it plans to continue its collaborative monitoring and surveillance efforts for SARS-CoV-2 in wildlife and other animals as part of the American Rescue Plan Act to better understand the impacts of the virus on animal and human health.
Animal Welfare Act Enforcement
APHIS worked to protect the welfare of animals from unscrupulous individuals, taking actions within its authority under the Animal Welfare Act to stop a number of bad actors, APHIS said. In 2021, those actions included initiating 118 cases for alleged violations of the AWA, issuing 58 official warnings, issuing three pre-litigation settlements resulting in the collection of $18,200 in stipulated penalties and obtaining eight administrative orders. In one case, working with the USDA’s Office of General Counsel (OGC), APHIS entered into a Consent Decision and Order relating to multiple violations of the AWA, which suspended the respondent’s AWA license for a term of five years. In two other cases, APHIS obtained administrative orders against individuals relating to alleged AWA violations, permanently revoking both respondent’s AWA licenses. In two other cases, APHIS worked closely with OGC and the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division to pursue enforcement action relating to multiple alleged violations of the AWA. The collective efforts resulted in 21-day license suspensions and swift administrative and civil enforcement. APHIS continues to post copies of enforcement records on its website: USDA APHIS | Animal Welfare and Horse Protection Actions.
Read the full list here.
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