New developments with regards to African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease highlight the Swine Health Information Center's January swine health monitoring report.
As part of its February eNewsletter the Swine Health Information Center has released its monthly global and domestic swine health monitoring reports.
SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the global report includes extensive information on both African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth Disease.
Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:
Globally there has continued to be African Swine Fever activity in Europe and in Asia. In Latvia there was a large first farm level outbreak of the year and this is at one of the country's largest commercial operations with more than 22 thousand pigs on site. In South Korea officials reported four farm level outbreaks in January which is a very sharp increase in cases compared to last year when they only had six cases reported.
In the Philippines a sharp reduction in active ASF cases was noted. The authorities attribute some of the reduction to enhanced biosecurity that is applied on farm, their active monitoring of status, favorable weather, sustained border controls and government sponsored ASF vaccination of negative herds. Then, Foot and mouth Disease continues to raise concerns with the first detection of FMD SAT 1 in Isreal and this was reported in January with multiple outbreaks in cattle and goats. It is important for us to continue to monitor what other countries are doing and learn from their experience and then be able to apply that to our production in the U.S.
Dr. Becton says it comes down to basic biosecurity, especially when people are traveling overseas or when hosting international visitors. She advises not wearing the same clothing and footwear on your farm that was worn during travel, having down time before international travelers visit and not exposing pigs to food products from other countries.The global and domestic swine health monitoring reports can be found at swinehealth.org.
Source : Farmscape.ca