The Coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba suggests the confirmation of African Swine Fever in wild boar in Spain is a lesson for North America of the importance of vigilance when it comes to biosecurity. On November 28th the World Organization for Animal Health reported the detection of African Swine Fever in wild boars found dead in Spain.
Dr. Wayne Lees, the Coordinator of Squeal on Pigs Manitoba, says the level of attention has gone up over the past year or two, driven not only by the danger of the introduction of African Swine Fever into wild boar but also the maintenance of a foreign animal disease in a wild population that can roam freely.
Quote-Dr. Wayne Lees-Squeal on Pigs Manitoba:
In Spain they found the introduction of an African Swine Fever virus that was first detected in Georgia in eastern Europe and so it's a strain that was not normally seen as circulating in Europe. There's a couple of ways of introduction. One of the theories is that it was a leak from a lab, which could be possible.
But there was also another introduction that was reported in Poland of somebody who had brought in a wild pig carcass and left it and it was also infected with African Swine Fever. What that says to me is that the methods of introduction of African Swine Fever could be accidental, they could be deliberate and I think we need to keep our minds open to various ways of introducing foreign animal disease into our country.
It tells me that we need to be extremely alert.
Dr. Lees says it's become increasingly important that we are well aware of where the wild boar populations are and that we are doing our best to eliminate or reduce them. He encourages anyone looking for information or wishing to report a wild pig sighting to call 1 833 SPOT-PIG or visit squealonpigsmb.org.
Source : Farmscape.ca