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CHICAGO, July 28 (Reuters) – The U.S. Division of Agriculture has confirmed the lethal hog virus African swine fever (ASF) in samples from pigs within the Dominican Republic, the company stated in an announcement on Wednesday.
This represented the primary detection of the illness within the Western Hemisphere in about 40 years, based on the Nationwide Pork Producers Council, a U.S. business group.
The findings elevate considerations concerning the world unfold of the illness, which devastated China’s hog herd after being detected there in 2018.
ASF isn’t harmful to people however is nearly all the time deadly to pigs. Governments typically block imports of pork merchandise from nations the place it has been discovered, even in wild animals, to forestall transmission.
The US already prohibits imports of pork and pork merchandise from the Dominican Republic on account of restrictions associated to a different illness, classical swine fever, the assertion from USDA’s Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Service stated.
“USDA is dedicated to helping the Dominican Republic in coping with ASF,” the USDA stated. “We can even supply comparable assist to Haiti, which borders the Dominican Republic and is at excessive danger for ASF detections.”
The USDA stated the U.S. Division of Homeland Safety’s Customs and Border Safety (CBP) is growing inspections of flights from the Dominican Republic to make sure vacationers don’t convey prohibited merchandise into the US, and making certain that rubbish from these flights is correctly dealt with to forestall transmission of the illness.
“We thank the USDA and CBP for the extra measures they’re taking to forestall the unfold of ASF to the US,” stated Liz Wagstrom, chief veterinarian with the Nationwide Pork Producers Council.
African swine fever unfold quickly in China beginning three years in the past and worn out half of that nation’s hog herd, the world’s largest, inside a 12 months. It despatched world pork costs surging.
The illness has additionally been present in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
(Reporting by Julie Ingwersen and Tom Polansek in Chicago Enhancing by Chris Reese)
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