Further Expansion of Foot and Mouth Disease and African Swine Fever Raise Concerns

The spread of Foot and Mouth Disease in Cyprus and Greece and the reemergence of African Swine Fever in wild boar in Saxony, Germany highlight the Swine Health Information Center's May global swine disease monitoring report.As part of its May eNewsletter the Swine Health Information Center has released its monthly domestic and global swine disease monitoring reports.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says constant monitoring of both Foot and Mouth Disease and African Swine Fever are important.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:

Foot and Mouth Disease virus, the SAT-1 serotype remains active in the Middle East.There are three pig farms that were identified as positive in Cyprus as well as positive farms in Greece.African Swine Fever has been identified in Spain and Barcellona in wild boar populations where it hasn't been seen before.
In the Saxony region of Germany there's also wild boar that have been identified as positive following being disease free.

It really does become concerning and it requires monitoring when we see a virus spread outside of its expected area or we see it across more species groups.
That has happened with Foot and Mouth Disease and so it continues to warrant monitoring to see if we can learn why the disease is spread and maybe some of the differences for risk for transmission.

Same thing for African Swine Fever.It's always important to note what species are infected and what populations, for example the feral boar versus commercial swine and there are some differences.All of this is important as we continue to assess what can we do as producers in the U.S. to try to reduce transmission.
A lot of that is being aware of what's out there but then also know, if there's any travel overseas during the summer months to maintain biosecurity in things like not wearing the same clothing and footwear you wore overseas back into your and have down time from overseas travel back into your farm as well.

SHIC's domestic and global swine disease monitoring reports can be accessed through the link to the May eNewsletter at swinehealth.org.
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