International Travelers Reminded of Importance of Reporting Foreign Farm Visits to U.S. Customs

International travelers entering the United States are reminded to report visits to farms in regions infected by transboundary diseases such as African Swine Fever to U.S. customs.

As international travel increases those entering the United States are reminded to report visits to farms to U.S. customs and to notify the Swine Health Information Center of incidents where visitors to foreign farms were not diverted for secondary screening.

SHIC Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg says it's all about preventing the introduction of foreign animal disease.

Quote-Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Center:

One of the things that we've learned from watching African Swine fever spread around the world is that it is most often spread to different countries by people.It may be that they're unaware that they have African Swine Fever in a product on them or in something that they're travelling with.

This is all about prevention, prevention to keep that virus and other diseases out of North America.Customs and border protection has tried to make the entry process as seamless and as quick as possible.

Travelers coming into the U.S. can notify that they've been on a farm either by written form, they can do it verbally to a customs agent at the airport.They also have airport kiosks now and a new thing is a mobile passport control app that customs and border protection has offered.

While we support their efforts to make this as easy and as quick as possible for travelers, we also are working with them to ensure that anything that would offer a risk to the U.S. or North American is flagged and followed up on.

Dr. Sundberg encourages travelers who reported farm visits but were not sent for secondary screening to advise him of the date, time, port of entry, how the visit was reported and any other information related to that interaction with Customs.His contact information can be accessed at swinehealth.org.