African swine fever outbreak in China major threat to US pork

News that China broke with African swine fever (ASF) generated great concern for many in the US swine industry, including Scott Dee, DVM, Pipestone Veterinary Services. “This is a very challenging situation,” Dee told attendees at a recent swine-health conference in Macomb, Illinois. “ASFV is a very tough virus…and difficult to clean up should it get into a premise.”No treatment or vaccines are available for ASF, which can cause up to 100% mortality. Surviving swine continue to shed the virus. The virus only affects swine and generally spreads through oronasal contact and not aerosol. It also is spread by a tick (not found in the US) and in contaminated feed, feces, water, meat and uncooked garbage.Along with Megan Niederwerder, DVM, Kansas State University, and Diego Diel, DVM, South Dakota State University, Dee worked on research that proved viruses, including ASFV, survive in feed products shipped from Eastern Europe to the US.Under the conditions of the study, ASFV survived in several feed ingredients, such as soybean meal, and pork sausage casings, as well as in an empty container during a 30-day trip across the Atlantic Ocean.With nearly 2 million metric tons of ag products including feed shipped to the US from China every year, the risk of spreading a virus like ASF in feed is significant, Dee added.