fOreign aniMaL disease
How to keep Foreign Animal Disease off your farm
F
oreign animal disease awareness, outbreak, and prevention continue to be the number one priority for pork producers across the country. While there remains a lot of work being done at the local, state, and national levels to keep African Swine Fever out of the United States, there is still much work to be done at the producer level. There are five major things that U.S. pork producers can do to protect their operations from FAD and ASF, specifically. 1) Monitor for signs of ASF in your pigs Signs and symptoms include: • High fever • Decreased appetite and weakness • Red, blotchy skin or skin lesions • Diarrhea and vomiting • Coughing and difficulty breathing 2) Report signs of an FAD on your farm If you notice a pig that is displaying any sign of an FAD, including ASF, please report it to your herd veterinarian or to your state or federal animal health officials. You can also call the USDA’s toll free number at (866) 536-7593 for proper testing and investigation details. 3) Participate in your state’s Secure Pork Supply program Having a Secure Pork Supply (SPS) plan is a critical step in ensuring that your operation is secure. To become involved in creating an SPS plan in Ohio, all you need to do is contact Dr. Andreia Arruda and her team at The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Arruda and her team will help you to create a plan specifically for your program at no cost to you! You can contact Dr. Arruda at (614) 688-3277 or Arruda.13@osu.edu to set up a consultation. 4) Enhance on-farm Biosecurity practices Producers should implement enhanced biosecurity measures by working with your trusted veterinarian. This is increasingly important since the ASF virus can easily travel on clothing and shoes. Limiting foreign visitors on your farm is also a recommended practice to help enhance your farm’s biosecurity. 5) Create an AgView account AgView is a free technology that is sponsored by Pork Checkoff. It uniquely makes disease traceback and all pig movement data available to the USDA and state animal health officials on day one of an FAD.
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