By: Ohio’s Country Journal and Ohio Ag Net
Despite the Chinese government’s control efforts, the spread of African swine fever (ASF) continues in China. The official reports from the World Health Organization (OIE) now say there have been more than 40 cases confirmed in 11 provinces, including one in the far south of the country. Despite this geographic advance, some pig movement has been allowed to help with China’s domestic demand for pork.
And, according to a recent Global Disease Monitoring Report by the Swine Health Information Center, Brazil has reported a case of classical swine fever (CSF) in their country. The Brazilian case, which was reported earlier this month, was in the country’s far north, which is not in a major pig-producing area. This part of Brazil was already not considered to be free of CSF.
U.S. pork is not affected by the ASF outbreaks in other countries and is safe to eat.
- ASF does not affect humans and therefore is not a public health threat.
- Pork products from animals with ASF are safe to consume.
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has measures in place to prevent sick animals from entering the food supply.
ASF virus is a highly contagious viral disease impacting only pigs, not people — so it is not a public health threat or food-safety concern.
- ASF cannot be transmitted to humans through contact with pigs or pork.
- Members of the pig family, including domestic wild pigs, are the only animals susceptible to the ASF virus.
- ASF can be transmitted to pigs through feeding of uncooked garbage containing contaminated pork products. The Swine Health Protection Act regulates the feeding of food waste containing any meat products to swine, ensuring that all food waste fed to swine is properly treated to kill any disease organisms.
- ASF is easily transmitted to other pigs through direct contact with infected pigs or their waste, contaminated clothing, feed, equipment and vehicles, and in some cases, by blood-sucking insects, including some tick species.
- Currently, there is no vaccine that protects against ASF.