The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is preparing to establish a foreign animal disease protection zone in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
According to Dr. Patrick Webb, acting chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board, African Swine Fever has not been detected in these countries. Out of an abundance of caution, APHIS is taking this step to further safeguard the U.S. swine herd and protect the interests of pork producers.
Statement from Dr. Patrick Webb
?USDA?s announcement that it will be pursuing a foreign animal disease protection zone in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands is another important step in keeping African swine fever out of the U.S. and territories, after the recent identification of cases in the Dominican Republic. Prevention efforts already are in place in Puerto Rico, but formal designation from the World Organization for Animal Health, the OIE, allows USDA to seek zone recognition from trading partners prior to an outbreak, so that the U.S. may continue to export pork if ASF is detected in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands. As part of the zoning process, USDA will also work to increase awareness and continuous surveillance in Puerto Rico. USDA has been working with the officials in the Dominican Republic to control ASF there as well. Combined with today’s announcement, and the on-farm disease prevention efforts of producers here in the U.S., these strong controls are helping protect the commercial swine herd from the disease. Remember, producers can help protect their own operations and continuity of business for the pork industry by remaining vigilant, strengthening on farm biosecurity, and participating in their state’s secure pork supply efforts. They can visit porkcheckoff.org for news, disease identification tools, biosecurity tips, and to create an AgView account. The National Pork Board is making checkoff funded resources available in Spanish for USDA to leverage for its outreach in Puerto Rico.?
(Audio courtesy of NAFB)
