African Swine Fever
The U.S. is intensifying its proactive measures to safeguard the pork industry from the devastating threat of African swine fever through enhanced border security and industry collaboration. Here’s what you can do to help make a difference.
Persistent African swine fever outbreaks in Asia and Europe highlight continued viral pressure. USDA urges pork producers to remain vigilant in keeping this disease out and devotes the week of March 1-7 as ASF Action Week.
Spain, the European Union’s leading pork producer, has reported the first two cases of ASF in wild boar outside of the original outbreak area.
Biosecurity is the best defense to keep foreign animal disease out. USDA wants to see how you put it into practice.
More than 620 boars have been analyzed in recent weeks, with around 8% testing positive for the virus.
The court-ordered move follows concerns raised this month that the outbreak detected in wild boars could have been caused by a laboratory leak.
Closed markets may provide some incremental export opportunities for U.S. pork, says USMEF’s Erin Borror. Some trading partners suspending all pork imports from Spain include Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, Taiwan and Thailand.
The move aligns Britain with the European Union’s regionalization approach, which restricts trade only from outbreak zones.
Two wild boar were found dead near Barcelona and tested positive for ASF. Officials suspect the wild boar ate contaminated food such as a sandwich.
Although this is the sixth isolated outbreak of ASF in South Korea this year, it’s the first time in South Chungcheong, the largest pig farm region in the country and an area that had not seen a previous outbreak.
Taiwan had recently become the only country in Asia formally recognized by the World Organisation for Animal Health as free from both ASF and classical swine fever.
Producers and veterinarians are urged to stay engaged to understand how ongoing changes in African swine fever vaccine protocols and evaluation may impact them.
In 2024, ASF affected seven farms and 585 domestic pigs across Latvia. This latest outbreak, affecting 20,000 pigs, is the largest Latvia outbreak in 2025 to date.
Not only is the Ornithodoros turicata tick a potential vector of the ASF virus, but it also carries human relapsing fever, a severe bacterial infection.
Officials warn that ASF is firing back up, particularly in small-scale, low-biosecurity farms where old outbreaks are re-emerging.
NPPC’s Director of Animal Health Anna Forseth shares why developing a H5N1 response plan for the swine industry and establishing the National Swine Health Strategy have been two major priorities for the industry this year.
Environmental samples can help evaluate the level of biosecurity on a farm. A group of Kansas State University scientists evaluated the effect of freeze–thaw cycles and storage at 4°C and room temperature on ASF virus DNA detection in environmental samples.
ASF continues to cause major challenges for pig farmers around the globe.
What are the potential pollution risks from practices like carcass burial in an ASF outbreak and who should be involved in decision-making to minimize environmental harm?
The AASV Annual Meeting is packed full of opportunity, so experts encourage attendees to plan accordingly.
Carolyn Lee is evaluating a novel nanoparticle-based African swine fever virus vaccine platform in a biosafety level 3 facility equipped to safely work with the virus in containment.
Now that final rule is out, we need to make sure US SHIP has the resources needed to stay afloat, NPPC’s Chase Adams says.
USDA encourages pork producers to send in their best biosecurity photos for a chance to win.
There’s no question the 2025 SHIC Plan of Work lays out a multitude of important topics to tackle in the year ahead. But the process that goes into developing this plan is just as, if not more important.
A wild boar adopted by a French horse breeder can remain with her owner, a court ruled on Thursday, after threats by authorities to remove and even euthanize her triggered a storm of protest.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service requests public comments on a proposal to establish an official program for safeguarding, improving, and representing the health status of U.S. pigs.
It’s time for 2025 predictions. The past two years have been challenging for most producers as the market has offered few times to lock in profits.