Swine & U

North American swine producers and the related industry have been taking great pains over the past few years to keep African swine fever out of the United States. Although African swine fever is one of three foreign animal the U.S. livestock industry wants to keep out of the country, the other two — classical swine fever (CSF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD) have infected U.S. hogs and were eradicated SWINE & U long ago. CSF, also known as By Diane DeWitte hog cholera, was stamped out in 1978, and FMD, which affects all split-hooved animals, was eradicated in 1929.

ASF has not yet infected U.S. swine herds. It has, however, made appearances in the western hemisphere. Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Haiti battled and eradicated ASF in their swine populations in the 1970s.

What is African swine fever?

African swine fever is one of the most severe diseases of pigs, having a drastic impact on the pig industry. ASF first appeared in domestic pigs in East Africa in the 1900s. It subsequently spread to Europe; appearing first in Portugal, then Spain and further countries. Eradication was achieved in Europe apart from Sardinia in the mid- 1990s.

In 2007, ASF then appeared in Georgia — spreading then to Russia and the Caucasus region, and other eastern European countries. In 2018, it continued to spread westward, affecting domestic pig and wild boar populations.

In 2018, ASF virus also reached the world’s largest pig producer: China. Mongolia reported its first outbreak in 2019. In the years since its outbreak in China, ASF has been identified in Southeast Asian counties and European countries, including Germany and Poland in wild boar populations in September of 2020.

ASF is a highly-contagious hemorrhagic disease caused by a virus of the family Asfarviridae. It is often fatal in domestic pigs and wild boars. The primary control strategy for ASF in domestic swine is stamping-out. Currently, there is no vaccine available. Given the financial implications and limitations in trade, eradication is the ultimate goal.

ASF is a notifiable disease listed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and must be reported. ASF virus is considered a Foreign Animal Disease by the United States Department of Agriculture and therefore swine byproduct imports from ASF-positive countries are forbidden. Any suspicion of ASF must be notified to the Minnesota Board of Animal Health and the USDA.

UniversityofMinnesota EXTENSION

See SWINE & U, pg. 22 39th Annual

ALL BREED SWINE AUCTION & 15th Annual Semen Sale

Wed. Evening, September 1st • 6:10 PM • JUDGING •

Judges: John Huinker, Brian Hines, Shari Sell-Bakker Monday, August 30th

West Ring - 5:00 pm:

Junior Barrow Showmanship

Tuesday, August 31st

East Ring - 8:00 am to 3:00 pm:

Poland China, Chester, White, Spotted hogs, Yorkshire,

Landrace, All Other Breeds & Supreme Champions

West Ring - 8:00 am to 1:00 pm:

Duroc, Hampshire, Berkshire 11:00 am to 1:00 pm: Junior Skill-a-thon 2:00 pm Junior Crossbred Breeding Gilts 4:30 pm: Junior Barrow Judging Contest

Wednesday, September 1st

West Ring - 8:00 am: Junior Barrow Classic

East Ring - 9:00 am: Open Barrow Show

All top placements (boars and gilts) born from December through March in each breed will be sold at auction. Up to 100 head! This is an excellent opportunity to obtain some of the top genetics available in the Midwest. Herd health is a #1 priority for the exhibi-tors. Prices in the past have been very reasonable. Payment must be made at the auction. Hogs purchased may be removed from the State

Fair Grounds immediately following the sale. Help is available for loading out.

If not taken that evening, they must wait until Thur. Sep. 2nd from 1-5.

SWINE&U housed, or allowed to run free. The source of the ASF virus is suspected to be from garbage fed to the pigs — perhaps from How ASF is spread Due to the absence of an effective vaccine, introduction and spread of ASF onto domestic pig farms can only be prevented by strict compliance with ship or airplane food garbage. Isolation of the virus has revealed it has the same genetic makeup of the ASF virus of the Georgian outbreak in 2007. biosecurity measures. What next? ASF virus is highly stable and temperature resistant and can persist in the environment for a long time. The main mechanisms of spread include direct pig-to-pig contact, including with wild pigs; movement of infected live animals; and improper disposal of manure and dead animals Contact with contamiThe United States currently does not exchange pork products or live pigs with the Dominican Republic because they have Classical Swine Fever in their country. Because they are a FAD positive locale, these animals and products are not allowed to move into the United States. This is considered a nated pork and byproducts will spread the virus, as well as consumption of contaminated feed (swill feeding). Ticks — specifically soft ticks found in the western/southwestern U.S. — can transmit ASF. The virus can be transferred by a manure slurry; introduction of genetic materials and replacement animals; contaminated vehicles and other fomites, clothing, footwear or equipment; and, of course, workers and visitors.

Planning in place

Swine producers and allied industry have put together strategies to monitor and prevent ASF from infecting North American pig populations, and Minnesota leads the charge. The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine swine team, along with Minnesota Pork Producers, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and U of M Extension have worked together as the Emergency Disease Management Committee for Swine to implement a plan.

The plan developed strategies for action in the event that ASF would infect Minnesota, the Upper Midwest or the North American swine herd. In September 2019 fourteen swine-producing states worked together for four days through a functional exercise to determine what steps would be taken by all affiliated partners if ASF struck.

Now in the Western Hemisphere

On July 28, 2021, the USDA announced that it had identified ASF in samples from the Dominican Republic. USDA receives quarterly samples from a lab in the Dominican Republic, and originally identified eight samples positive for ASF. Further testing provided information that the ASF infection had spread further than the original results indicated.

The Dominican Republic swine herd is produced in both larger, more commercial-type farms established on the eastern end of the island, and in small backyard settings (with 20 pigs or fewer) found throughout most of the regionals of the Dominican Republic. The positive samples were discovered in the smaller herds, many of which are loosely