New plan minimizes trade disruption if African swine fever detected in feral pigs

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced a new protocol on Tuesday to help ensure bilateral trade will continue if African swine fever (ASF) is detected in feral pigs in either country, while still absent from domestic pigs. The protocol’s intent is to protect the swine populations in both countries during an outbreak of ASF in feral swine, while minimizing the effect on the trade of live swine, swine products and other swine commodities, APHIS said in a release. African swine fever is a highly contagious and deadly viral disease affecting both domestic and wild pigs of all ages. ASF is not a threat to human health and cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans. It is not a food safety issue and has never been found in the U.S. However, the disease has spread in domestic and feral pigs on other continents, including Africa, Asia, and Europe. Click here to read more at Pork Business.