Latest News From African Swine Fever

Reports of African swine fever outbreaks around the world are picking up. Bulgarian authorities reported an ASF outbreak on a commercial farm with 13,000 pigs in the central village of Apriltsi.

The Philippines' agriculture ministry says active cases of African swine fever are declining and confined to less than 1% of the nearly 3,000 villages that recorded outbreaks since the first cases detected in 2019.

Efforts to control the feral pig population in Oklahoma are ahead of last year, USDA reports.  ​​​​​​​

China's sow herd declined for the first time in nearly two years, contracting 0.5% in July from the previous month, state media said, after a plunge in hog prices pushed many farmers to get rid of unproductive sows.

While the U.S. remains free of African swine fever, the recent announcement of ASF in the Dominican Republic underscores the importance of continued detection and biosecurity efforts to protect swine in this country. 

Pork producers can rest assured that U.S. Customs and Border Protection ag inspectors have been and are continuing to focus “all hands on deck” to protect U.S. borders from foreign animal diseases. Here's why.

A South Korea pig farm with 2,400 pigs confirmed an outbreak of African swine fever on Sunday. The country is on high alert to contain the spread of this deadly virus just three months after the latest confirmed case.

For years we watched as the ASF virus jumped from Africa into the Middle East, then into Europe and Russia, and most recently, into China and Southeast Asia. Almost everywhere it goes, ASF sets up shop permanently.

The number of dogs being imported into the U.S. for resale from countries affected by ASF is growing. Combine that with an increasing risk of foreign animal disease spread, and it’s a formula for potential disaster.

Do you know the signs of African swine fever? Whether it’s China, the Dominican Republic or elsewhere, ASF doesn’t always present itself with clear symptoms.

For the first time in 40 years, African swine fever has leapt back into the Americas. Here's a look at the latest updates on ASF from the Swine Health Information Center.

Alabama hunters are now buying licenses to hunt feral pigs and coyotes at night in an effort by the state to try to control these destructive animals. 

USMEF's Dan Halstrom says that while the ASF findings are very concerning, the U.S. industry is well-prepared for these situations and extensive safeguards are in place to protect the health of the U.S. swine herd.

The Dominican Republic will slaughter tens of thousands of pigs after detecting outbreaks of African swine fever in 11 of the country's 32 provinces.

Dominican Republic officials are proposing drastic measures to contain confirmed cases of ASF, including military help and culling animals. This marks the first time in 40 years ASF was detected in Western Hemisphere.

When outbreaks of animal disease strike, the news headlines can be awfully confusing for consumers. It’s no wonder reports of African swine fever in Germany have consumers buzzing with questions. Here's how to help.

The USDA announced on July 28 that the Dominican Republic has confirmed cases of African swine fever (ASF). This is the first time ASF has been detected in the Western Hemisphere in decades.

Is the U.S. pork industry becoming lax about biosecurity? “We've been able to stay free of African swine fever so far,” says Kansas State's Cassandra Jones. “One of my concerns is if we can continue to do so."

Chinese farmer Cheng wades through knee-deep water, pulling dead pigs behind him one-by-one by a rope tied around their ankles as he lines up the bloated carcasses for disposal.

An educational panel focused on show pig biosecurity recently addressed exhibitors and their families at The Recovery Show in Des Moines, Iowa.

Export markets are starting to look weak, particularly exports to China, says Rob Murphy of J.S. Ferraro & Company. He shared his perspective on what’s ahead in the third quarter of 2021 during a recent webinar.

The storms that hit Henan province in central China have caused damage to some hog farms in the major pork-producing region and may trigger fresh cases of African swine fever.

German pig prices were unchanged this week despite the discovery of the disease African swine fever (ASF) in farm animals, German animal farmers' association VEZG said.

The U.S. is continuing to take steps to keep African swine fever out of the country. USDA recently announced that it has approved blood swabs and spots as official African swine fever (ASF) testing tissues.

From hot dogs to pork intestines, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists issued 246 emergency action notifications during the second quarter of 2021. 

China's efforts to control African swine fever outbreaks among its pig herd remained complicated, with 11 outbreaks officially reported so far this year and new variants of the virus also present.

A third case of African swine fever was confirmed over the weekend in farm pigs in the eastern German state of Brandenburg, German authorities said.

The first cases of African swine fever (ASF) have been confirmed in farm pigs in Germany, the country's federal agriculture ministry said on July 16.

The USDA has approved blood swabs and spots as samples for official African swine fever testing during foreign animal disease investigations, the Swine Health Information Center reports.

China's second-quarter pork production surged to its highest in at least seven years, after producers launched thousands of new breeding farms last year to rebuild a hog herd decimated by African swine fever.

China is no longer requiring small pig farms must obtain environmental approval from the government before breeding pigs. In an effort to rebuild its hog herd, the ag ministry is removing red tape for small farmers.

Large numbers of pigs are dying from ASF in China's top hog-producing province, say farmers and analysts, raising concerns it could spread further across the south and slow China's pork production recovery.

What happens when wild pigs are given 1,000 tons of groceries per day in the form of landfill trash? Expect a ticking time bomb, and quite possibly, a $50 billion blow to the entire U.S. pork industry.

A Philippines bank is working with the Department of Agriculture and hog industry stakeholders in the country to increase pork production to meet consumer demand and stabilize prices of the popular meat.

Thailand denied on Sunday that pigs exported to Vietnam earlier this month were infected with the African swine fever prior to departure.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 1143 declaring a state of calamity in the Philippines pork industry. 

German pig prices rose this week as restaurants reopened in Germany with the easing of coronavirus lockdowns and EU exports continued to compensate for lost sales to China.

China's live hog futures fell nearly 5% on May 19, hitting the lowest level since their January launch, as weak spot prices and expectations of improved production weighed on the market.

China's hog production recovery still faces uncertainties and risk of African swine fever outbreak remains "relatively great," the country's agriculture ministry said.

Vietnam’s pork production is on a rapid path to recovery after African swine fever decimated its herd in 2019. Although outbreaks continue to recur, most are sporadic, small-scale and quickly contained, USDA said.

Can rodents transmit the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus? Although rodents are a possible transmission vector for other swine diseases, that path of transmission has been uncharacterized for ASF.

An ASF virus vaccine candidate has been adapted to grow in a cell line, which means those involved in vaccine production will no longer have to rely on live pigs and their fresh cells for vaccine production. 

China's agriculture ministry confirmed an outbreak of African swine fever on a farm in the northern region of Inner Mongolia, the 10th outbreak to be reported so far this year.

Germany is hopeful of progress in its efforts to persuade China to relax import bans on German pork imposed after African swine fever was found in the country, Germany’s agriculture minister said on Wednesday.

As the feral pig problem continues to explode throughout parts of the U.S., a new bait and delivery system may help reduce the population of feral pigs, scientists with Louisiana State University AgCenter say. 

African swine fever (ASF) expert Dr. Dan Rock of the University of Illinois weighs in on a recent China Harbin Laboratory paper describing its analysis of ASF virus variants.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport seized a shipment of prohibited and restricted chicken lollipop pet treats disguised as men’s sweaters.

China's top pig producers are set to report a plunge in first-quarter profits from the huge gains of last year, after hog prices fell, and disease, more expensive feed and poorly performing sows further eroded earnings.

China's agriculture ministry issued a plan to divide the country into five regions to be charged with greater responsibility to prevent and control African swine fever, as well as other animal diseases.

Reports indicate about 20% of the herd has been wiped out in the latest wave.