USDA seizes pork from China due to African swine fever concerns
According to Reuters, U.S. border agents seized around 1 million pounds of pork from China last week over suspicions that it might contain African swine flu (ASF) disease, which has hit Chinese pork output.
According to Reuters, U.S. border agents seized around 1 million pounds of pork from China last week over suspicions that it might contain African swine flu (ASF) disease, which has hit Chinese pork output. China, home to the world’s largest hog herd, has reported 112 outbreaks of the highly contagious disease in 28 provinces and regions since August, with the majority found on farms, with one at a slaughterhouse. There is no treatment or vaccine for ASF and it can kill hogs in just two days, but it is not harmful to people. About 1 million pigs have been culled so far in an effort to try to control the spread.
Since prevention is the best protection against the disease, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has released information about the importance of keeping ASF out of the United States. To help people learn more about this disease, as well as the steps that can be taken to help protect U.S. pigs, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) has updated its web content with additional information and links to partners’ resources. This information is available at www.aphis.usda.gov/animalhealth/swine/asf.
The USDA is monitoring the recent outbreaks of ASF is Asia and Europe and has proactively taken steps to increase its safeguarding efforts to keep the disease out of the country. These steps include:
- Working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at ports of entry, paying particular attention to cargo, passengers, and products arriving from China and other ASF affected countries.
- Increasing detector dog teams with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to sniff out illegal products at key U.S. commercial seaports and airports.
- Collaborating with states, industry, and producers to ensure everyone follows strict on-farm biosecurity protocols and best practices.
- Restricting imports of pork and pork products from affected countries.
- Coordinating closely on response plans with the U.S. pork industry, producers, and states to be ready should a detection ever occur in the United States.
- Expanding the testing capabilities and testing capacity of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.