Changing Dynamics of ASF Spread Increase Importance of Biosecurity

The Associate Director of the Swine Health Information Center suggests the changing dynamics of the global spread of African Swine Fever have increased the importance of maintaining biosecurity.As part of its August eNewsletter the Swine Health Information Center has released its monthly global and domestic swine disease monitoring reports.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the dynamics of African Swine Fever spread are changing so it's important to maintain biosecurity because even little things can help protect against foreign animal disease introduction as well as other disease introduction.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:

Unfortunately, African Swine Fever still takes a predominant role in foreign animal diseases and outbreaks that are ongoing, particularly in activity in Germany and Italy but Europe overall is seeing increased activity and has seen almost a doubling of cases identified between June and July of this year.Other concerns, especially in Vietnam are seeing the recombinant ASF strain that has both genotype one and type two genes in them.

That makes it a little bit interesting and difficult when we're looking at cross protection from available vaccines and something that needs to be monitored closely. In other areas, the Philippines is considering starting vaccination for ASF, so trying to identify ways to help mitigate virus spread and the concerning part is that it is not just local spread but also a significant distance spread.

That tells us that there are several things to be concerned about.One of them, including biosecurity and local methods and human mediated methods of how this virus can change.

Dr. Becton says this is a big concern for farms in areas not infected because it shows the virus changes and spreads relatively easily and there hasn't been a definitive way to absolutely stop that spread and so it’s going to take global and national efforts to enforce biosecurity to keep these areas free of ASF and to track where the virus is moving.