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USDA “closely watching” ASF

The USDA’s chief veterinarian says they are closely watching African Swine Fever in other countries, “We’ve been watching ASF way before we had the issues in China. We were watching the Baltic states in Europe, tracking what was going on there. We put mitigations in place and we don’t import anything from (high-risk) countries that are positive with African Swine Fever.”

But even so, Dr. Jack Shere tells Brownfield that ASF is still a threat to the U.S. swine herd and the USDA is staying on top of it, “We have to watch it and we have to look at potential gaps in the United States that we need to address where that virus might come in from areas that we don’t currently regulate or monitor.”

Shere says U.S. Customs and Border Protection monitors flights with people coming in from high-risk countries who might bring in processed meats. Those meats are confiscated. And, he says trash from all high risk ships and planes is incinerated under U.S. Customs supervision.

Brownfield Ag News interviewed Dr. Shere at the NIAA Strategy for Cattle Traceability Forum in Kansas City, Missouri.

AUDIO: Interview with Dr. Jack Shere ~