Officials Say Poultry Plants Are Prepared For A Winter Surge

Jan 05, 2021

Delaware’s poultry processing plants and state health officials say they are well-prepared for a winter surge of coronavirus cases.

Dr. Rick Pescatore, the Delaware Division of Public Health's chief physician, has told the Daily Times of Salisbury that the implementation of best practices is mostly complete.

The Daily Times reported Monday that DPH cultivated a close relationship with the plants as they rolled out coronavirus testing for employees in late spring.

“We’ve been able to strengthen our relationships with the poultry companies and others, and so we’ve been able to empower them throughout the year to take this on,” Pescatore said.

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Video: ASF Control Lessons - Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith, Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, shares what decades of work have revealed about ASF control. She explains why vaccine development remains difficult, how human activity and food waste drive disease spread, why resistant pig populations are an important research area, and how strict biosecurity with the right disinfectants can help to stop transmission. Listen now on all major platforms!

"It's really a very human-driven disease because people move pigs, decide how they're raised, how they're sold, and good biosecurity can do anything to ensure control."

Meet the guest: Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith / mary-louise-penrith-2b12bb42 is an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. A veterinarian and internationally recognized researcher, she has dedicated decades to African swine fever epidemiology, control, and pig health, supporting FAO and WOAH initiatives while advancing research and education. Listen to Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith on the Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.