Farmscape,
The Veterinary Counsel with the Canadian Pork Council suggests keeping on top of the movement of people and food products will be an important defense against African Swine Fever.
In response to the spread of African Swine Fever in China, the North American pork sector is stepping its focus on the movement of people and food products.
Dr. Egan Brockhoff, the Veterinary Counsel with the Canadian Pork Council, told an ASF Telephone Town Hall Wednesday the movement of African Swine Fever is primarily driven by people and animal movement.
Clip-Dr. Egan Brockhoff-Canadian Pork Council:
It is one of the most severe clinical diseases of pigs on the planet, certainly one of the most severe viral diseases of pigs on the planet.
ASF is recognized by veterinarians around the world as one of the major threats to pig production, a major threat to food security and certainly a significant threat to biodiversity in the world.
It has an impact on not just domestic pigs but it has an impact on our environment and our ecosystems that surround it.
Unlike PED virus, African Swine Fever is a federally and internationally reportable disease.
The presence of African Swine Fever in Canada certainly would lead to border closures, trade restrictions and other concerns.
A positive diagnostic in Canada would unquestionably result in government quarantine of facilities, it would result in mass destruction of pigs, it would result most likely in border closure and certainly market interruption and a change in our trading status.
African Swine Fever comes with a lot of consequences and is certainly a virus that we want to keep out of North America.
Dr. Brockhoff stresses our activities move this virus and we need to be conscious of that because, if we are, we can stop its potential entry into Canada.
Source : farmscape