By Ryan Samuel
After a two-year hiatus, the World Pork Expo will return to the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa from June 9–11, 2021. In 2020, the National Pork Producers Council decided to cancel World Pork Expo due human health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of African swine fever (ASF) throughout China in 2018 was cited as the reason for the cancellation of the 2019 World Pork Expo. The swine industry in China has been severely impacted by ASF since the first-reported case in Aug. 2018. Since that time, ASF has spread to every province in China and is responsible for herd reductions of 27 and 30 percent respectively from the 2019 starting inventory of hogs and sows (USDA, April 16, 2020).
Although ASF has been detected in swine populations in an increasing number of countries of the world, it is not present in North America. The emphasis for organizations, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), is on keeping the African swine fever virus (ASFV) from entering North America and infecting the swine industry. Pork producers and production employees must always be vigilant about biosecurity, especially when visiting industry events.
Biosecurity refers to management practices that prevent the introduction and/or spread of diseases. Clothing, footwear and hands can carry disease, so it is important to institute and follow recommended biosecurity measures.