China Confirms African Swine Fever Outbreaks in Sichuan, Hubei Provinces

Mar 08, 2021

China confirmed outbreaks of African swine fever in its key pork producing provinces of Sichuan and Hubei, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

The cases were detected in Aba prefecture in the southwestern province of Sichuan, and the city of Xiangyang in the central province of Hubei.

The outbreak killed 38 pigs on a farm of 127 hogs in Sichuan, China's largest producing province. In Hubei, the disease was detected on a truck of piglets being transported illegally from another province. Of 165 piglets, 10 were infected, and five had died.

China is the world's top pork producer and consumer.

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Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.