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ASF threat bigger today than ever

A veterinarian consultant is warning pork producers not to become complacent with their biosecurity practices.

Dr. Richard French with Global Animal Health Partners was in China during the 2018 African Swine Fever epidemic. He tells Brownfield the disease situation today in Europe and Asia is the worst it has ever been.

“It’s widespread,” he says. “It’s all throughout Asia. It’s in countries that don’t report or don’t report accurately. And the virus has begun to evolve.”

French collaborates with state and federal diagnostic officials on transboundary diseases like ASF present in Southeast Asia. He says tracking the disease is becoming increasingly difficult and puts U.S. production at risk.

“There’s so much human traffic, commerce, traffic, and food product traffic between our countries and that’s really where the risk is posed,” he explains.

French adds while there’s no current treatment for the virus, a vaccine has the potential to slow down AFS’s impact on the pork industry globally.

French was a featured speaker during the recent Michigan Pork Symposium.

AUDIO: Dr. Richard French, Global Animal Health Partners