When African swine fever was diagnosed in China in August 2018, the North American swine industry immediately began actively monitoring its status and subsequent efforts to control the outbreak. Knowing the consequences of an ASF diagnosis in North America would be catastrophic, collaborative efforts among stakeholders in the US, Canada, and Mexico began immediately. The first North American African Swine Fever Forum took place in Ottawa, Canada, in 2019, and recently returned to Ottawa in September 2024 for the fourth Forum. The Swine Health Information Center was among many US participants with Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder speaking during the Spotlight on Communications session.
Government agency representatives, pork industry leaders, international ASF experts, WOAH delegates, international animal health organizations, state and provincial chief veterinary officers, and other stakeholders all took part in the Forum. Their collective focus centered on the protection of the livelihoods of North American pork producers from a devastating foreign animal disease outbreak through the development of tools for prevention, risk mitigation strategies, and collaborative agreements for maintenance of business continuity and trade.
Despite global efforts and knowledge advancements, Forum organizers noted ASF continues to spread globally, negatively impacting economies and pork production in affected regions of the world. They wrote, “Since January 2022, 10 countries have reported ASF for the first time, while 14 countries have reported its spread to new areas. The disease has also re-emerged in regions that had effectively managed it for decades.” They further noted the lack of treatment and commercial vaccines for ASF keeps stakeholders vigilant in their efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to this threat.
During the fourth ASF Forum, past successes were explored, current experiences shared, and ongoing challenges in ASF control identified. Across the various Forum sessions, participants addressed key topics including business continuity programs, management and surveillance of wild pigs, effective stakeholder communication needs, and the development and use of ASF vaccination as a control tool. A collaborative roadmap for ongoing management of the ASF threat as well as renewed partnerships for continued coordination and collaboration were established.
Key presentations from Germany, Denmark, the EU, the Dominican Republic, and Italy focused on the current status and management of ASF in their respective countries. The importance and development of regionalization and zoning agreements for response to ASF was another key topic for discussion and collaboration across the North American countries. The role of communications for informing stakeholder awareness was a topic discussed by the Forum participants. Dr. Niederwerder provided examples of US stakeholder communication channels for ASF, including the monthly SHIC Global Disease Monitoring Report as a readily accessible source of information on new ASFV outbreaks and introduction risks. She also highlighted the need for rapid and accurate information sharing for producers on ASF and emerging disease events. Forum participants engaged in joint discussion regarding the role and need for robust communications strategies to support backyard pork production in each country and provision of tools for small scale producers.
While the Forum’s objective is to prevent entry and mitigate the impacts of ASF in the Americas, the collaborative work of the international participating stakeholders represents significant investment of time, resources, and commitment to safeguarding the pork industries of North America on behalf of producers and all allied organizations.
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