African Swine Fever

Preempting African Swine Fever in Texas with Research

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 19:02:00 GMT

By Gabe Saldana

As feral hog populations increase in Texas and the U.S., they create desirable conditions for disease-carrying ticks and increase the risk for an outbreak of African swine fever virus, ASFV.

To ensure the devastating ASFV stays out of Texas and the Southern U.S., a multi-institution research project led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research will assess the potential, or vector competency, of a southern Ornithodoros turicata tick to transmit the disease.

The nearly $1.5 million project is supported by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate through Cross-Border Threat Screening and Supply Chain Defense, CBTS, a DHS Center of Excellence within AgriLife Research.

Results from the project will fill critical knowledge gaps in the vector competency of ticks in the U.S. It will be an early key step toward research-based solutions that keep Texas and the Southern U.S. free of ASFV.

Assessing tick vector competency for ASFV transmission in Texas
“These ticks are in several southern states and are common in Texas,” said Meriam Saleh, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor in the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Saleh is the project’s principal investigator.

“Laboratory studies using a subspecies of these ticks, which originated in Florida, demonstrated high vector competency for ASFV to pigs,” she said. “Our research aims to confirm whether the Texas ticks carry the same ability to transmit the disease.”

Dee Ellis, DVM, AgriLife Research veterinarian within the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Entomology., and Scott Kenney, Ph.D., of Ohio State University, join Saleh as co-principal investigators.

The team will evaluate the biology and transmissibility of different ASFV strains and genotypes in ticks. They will determine the ability of other species to host or spread ASFV from ticks in the U.S.

Preempting an outbreak with research
African swine fever, as its name suggests, is a tick-borne DNA virus originating in Africa, where Ornithodoros moubata ticks persist in a continuous cycle with wild warthogs.

In Texas, unique challenges come from a host of issues: the presence of potential tick vectors, the expanding feral swine population, expansive suitable habitat for ticks and feral swine, commercial swine operations and the U.S. border with Mexico among others.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service estimates that an ASFV outbreak in the U.S. would devastate the U.S. pork industry with a 50% drop in hog prices, a halt in pork and pork product exports, as well as significant job losses and culling of the animals.

In Texas, according to the Texas Pork Producers Association, feral pigs outnumber domestic swine at least 3-to-1.

Adult ticks have been documented to live for years between feedings. Several species of Ornithodoros ticks in North America have demonstrated African swine fever transmission to swine in laboratory settings.

“Leading-edge discoveries and innovation will be the keys to staying ahead of ASFV for Texas and the Southern U.S.,” said Heather Manley Lillibridge, Ph.D., executive director of CBTS. “Collaborations across multiple institutions provide us with the resources and expertise for continued success.”

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A New Toxicant Tool Decreases Feral Hog Populations in Texas

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 02:23:34 GMT

Explosive numbers , deadly destruction , devastating economic impact . Is it possible to control the spiraling feral hog population in Texas?

A new Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service study shows a warfarin-based toxicant could help slow the out-of-control feral hog numbers by serving as an effective option for landowners and to help minimize damage on their property.

“Texas A&M AgriLife experts are the leading authorities on feral hog control in the nation, and we are the first to test this in a real-world application and to show that this warfarin-based toxicant can be effective for reducing these pests,” explains John Sharp, Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. “Unabated feral hog populations threaten our natural resources, our livelihoods and our quality of life, and our goal, as a land-grant institution, is to provide safe, effective, science-backed solutions for all Texans.”

The two-year study took place on 23 sites in 10 counties across the various regions of the state. Conducted by Department of Rangeland, Wildlife and Fisheries Management associate professor and AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist John Tomeček, and Michael Bodenchuk, director of Texas Wildlife Services, the teams were able to effectively and efficiently reduce feral hog numbers with diligent application of the product, according to a release .

“Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service was tasked with evaluating the product’s ability to reduce feral hog numbers and damage in regions across the state and seasons of the year,” Tomeček says. “We found that it can be highly effective when utilized correctly and saw no access to the toxicant by non-target species when all feeder devices functioned properly.”

This study is an important step in the fight to curb the economic and environmental impact of feral hogs in Texas and across the nation, Sharp says. With more than 3 million feral hogs causing more than $500 million in damage to agriculture and private property throughout Texas each year , feral hogs are a burden that also destroy native wildlife and disturb native ecosystems.

Toxicant as a Tool

Researchers conducted field evaluations of a low-dose warfarin-based toxicant to determine its efficacy in various regions of the state and to assess the product’s ability to help landowners prevent property damage and economic harm from feral hogs. AgriLife Extension specialists worked with private landowners on recommended application methodologies to provide real-world testing conditions for the product and the suggested best practices, the release explains.

Bait that included warfarin was placed in specially designed dispensers that prevent access by non-target species, Tomeček says. Feral hogs were conditioned to access the bait before the product was applied. Once the product was applied, feral hogs consumed lethal doses within five days of consistent access to the bait.

Tomeček points out that the product is not considered acutely toxic to non-target animals in the event some might gain limited access to the bait. It’s also not found at lethal levels within the tissue of deceased feral hogs.

The key is to “correctly and consistently” use the warfarin-based toxicant.

After a trial period of close supervision and instruction, landowners in the study applied and managed the bait themselves. During the project, the Texas A&M AgriLife team made several discoveries that will help increase efficacy of the product when applied, the release said.

Landowners who checked the feeder for mechanical issues and replaced bait consistently as part of their regular maintenance schedule reported sharp declines in feral hog numbers and damage levels over the seasons of the year.
Landowners who did not adhere to instruction reported mixed to low success in curbing feral hog numbers on their property. These results were true, regardless of the season of the year or the region of the state where the trial was being conducted.

With threats of African swine fever (ASF) and other foreign animal diseases getting closer to the U.S., wild hog control is becoming an even more critical topic as wild hogs serve as vectors of disease.

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Researchers Confirm There Are Only Six Unique Strains of African Swine Fever Virus

Mon, 20 Nov 2023 15:43:52 GMT

Although experts previously identified 25 different African swine fever (ASF) virus genotypes, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) researchers announced they have reclassified the number of virus strains from 25 to only six unique genotypes.

This scientific innovation may help redefine how ASF researchers across the globe classify ASF virus (ASFV) isolates and may make it easier for scientists to develop vaccines that match the different strains circulating in ASF endemic areas across the globe, ARS said in a release on Nov. 13.

“Our research team recently re-evaluated all the publicly available virus DNA sequence and found that the majority of genotypes (genetic makeup) originally identified as novel were not correctly identified nor compared to already existing ASFV virus genotypes,” said senior ARS scientist Douglas Gladue. “Based on this analysis, there are actually fewer unique genotypes than the ASF research community believed, and that means that there is less diversity of ASFV affecting communities across the globe. This information is important as it may reduce the number of vaccines previously thought to be needed to protect against all ASFV genotypes.”

Accurate classification of viruses is key for epidemiological investigations, ARS pointed out, and the development of cost-effective countermeasures, including developing vaccines for unique strains of ASFV.

Researchers re-analyzed more than 12,000 historical and current virus isolates that were produced from ASFV labs worldwide. The effort was made possible using the computing power of SciNet, ARS’ super computer cluster for solving agricultural big data problems.

The highly contagious ASFV spread from Africa to the Republic of Georgia in 2007, and has since swept through Europe, the Dominican Republic and Asia, before reaching South Africa in early 2023. Although ASFV is causing profound economic losses to the global swine industry, there have not been any outbreaks in the U.S. to date. The virus is unable to transmit from pigs to humans so it poses no food safety or human health risks.

Editor’s Note: This research is highlighted in this month’s issue of Viruses and includes research and development input from the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency, and Makerere University in Uganda.

K-State is Now On a Mission to Estimate the Potential Economic Losses From Possible Foreign Animal Diseases

Thu, 26 Oct 2023 17:32:07 GMT

Nestled in the Flint Hills of Kansas is the town of Manhattan, home to Kansas State University. Take a drive across Kansas State University today, and signs of a major focus on biodefense, and animal agriculture specifically, are everywhere.

“We have NBAF here, which is the National Bio Agro-Defense Facility , that’s on the edge of campus. So, K-State really is right in the middle of the animal health industry,” says Dustin Pendell, director of the collaborating center for the economics of animal health Americas region, K-State University.

Pendell received some exciting news this summer: K-State had been chosen to lead a five-year global animal health effort, by opening a new center. Called the Collaborating Center for the Economics of Animal Health, Americas Region , the K-State University professor and economist already had some ambitious goals.

“In a decade from now, I hope that anywhere across the world, if anybody needs anything done related to economics for animal health, animal burdens or animal welfare, they immediately turn to K-State,” he says.

Starting to Assemble the Building Blocks

Pendell and team are just starting on the building blocks, ones that will develop decision-making tools and improve communication on the economic impacts of animal diseases

“When we think about this center, it’s veterinary data, it’s the disease data, including disease prevalence and disease incidents, in addition to economic data, like prices and quantities,” says Pendell. “But it takes a whole team of people and including data from a whole bunch of different sources and different disciplines to come together to study these animal health economic issues.”

K-State was selected by the World Organisation for Animal Health , which represents countries within North and South America.

“There are 33 countries in the Americas region that are members of the World Organisation for Animal Health. You’ve got Canada, Mexico, the United States. You also have all of Central America, and then South America and the Caribbean Islands,” he explains.

Pendell says here at home, livestock producers across the country are on high alert about the potential threat of animal diseases.

“Upfront, some of the current diseases that are here are high-path avian influenza, which was introduced recently, and you have ASF (African Swine Fever) knocking at the door. That’s another one that’s important,” says Pendell. “We’re working on some other diseases, endemic diseases, like bovine respiratory disease, etc., with folks over in the College of Veterinary Medicine. So, there’s going to be more than one disease (studied), per se. It’s going to probably be more of a portfolio approach.”

Sorting Out Priorities By Country

But he points out every country is different, so the focus for the U.S. is not always the same as the concerns for a country like Brazil.

“I spent some time in Brazil last month where they’re talking about TB, they’re talking about brucellosis issues that are a little different than maybe here in the United States,” he says. “And so there’ll be a lot of different issues, a lot of different diseases that we will focus on.”

The team is currently carving out the answer to what the priority diseases are by country, to then uncover the potential impact of the animal diseases that pose the biggest threat.

“Right now, we’re trying to visit with the various governments, and the animal health officials in these countries, to figure out what are the issues that that are most relevant, timely for them,” says Pendell. “Eventually, as we get up and running, it’s going to be anywhere from the producer to the consumer, and everybody in between, including the governments.”

National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility Located Next to K-State

Conveniently located down the road from Pendell is the new NBAF facility, a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to protect agriculture against possible foreign animal diseases. While the research is not new, the location is.

“NBAF needed to replace Plum Island because Plum Island is more than 65 years old, and it doesn’t have the capability to meet growing research and diagnostic needs when it comes to emerging diseases, which are those that are new or not well known, as well as zoonotic diseases, which are those that transfer between animals and humans,” says Christian Young, biological scientist with the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory. “So, NBAF will be able to continue as well as expand upon Plum Islands’ mission to protect U.S. agriculture and our food supply against terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies.”

Pendell says having NBAF in Manhattan, Kan., was also a selling point to why the center he’s leading made sense, as he will explore the possible economic impacts of those potential diseases.

“The biggest opportunity being here in Manhattan, Kan., at Kansas State University, is I think the animal health industry here is only going to grow because of NBAF,” says Pendell. “I think there’s going to be so many opportunities in this space to add an economic component to the research that’s going on in this animal health space.”

An Important Tool for Livestock Producers, Livestock Industry

Pendell knows it’s a big undertaking, but it’s one that could change the game for livestock producers not just in Kansas, but around the globe.

“It’s important for livestock producers, because this is their livelihood. So our goal is to produce tools in which they can evaluate various biosecurity measures that can reduce the likelihood of a disease outbreak on their individual operation and protect their livelihood,” says Pendell.

New Center at Kansas State University to Drive Innovation in Animal Vaccines and Antimicrobial Alternatives

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:50:20 GMT

Launching the new Center on Vaccine Evaluation and Alternatives for Antimicrobials, or CVEAA, Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine aims to support animal vaccine development and usage, says a recent release.

The new center will provide innovative services to global partners and customers by conducting safety and efficacy evaluations of vaccines for transboundary animal diseases, helping animal vaccine buyers manage product specification and quality evaluation, and leading feasibility analysis and policy advocacy on vaccines as alternatives for antimicrobials used in animal production, says the release, with Jishu Shi, professor of vaccine immunology and one of the university’s leading researchers on infectious swine diseases to serve as the center’s director and one of three primary faculty members.

“The Center on Vaccine Evaluation and Alternatives for Antimicrobials is a research and service center designed to meet a series of unmet needs in the development and usage of animal vaccines around the world,” Shi says in the release.

The center will focus on U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Homeland Security supported research projects and work closely with animal health industry partners in the following areas, says the release:
• Safety and efficacy testing of experimental vaccines for African swine fever, classical swine fever and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.
• Co-development of novel adjuvants for animal vaccines.
• Evaluations of diagnostic tools for swine infectious diseases, novel antiviral compounds against swine viral pathogens, and novel disinfectants against African swine fever virus and other swine viral pathogens.

“Dr. Shi’s research expertise in helping control the spread of African swine fever and his experience in building coalitions between a wide variety of partners in private industry and government agencies makes him uniquely qualified to lead this new center,” says Bonnie Rush, Hodes family dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, in the release.

The primary faculty members at the center will include Shi. Lihua Wang, research assistant professor of virology and vaccine immunology, and Rachel Madera, senior research scientist in anatomy and physiology, as well as a team of the following collaborating principal investigators from K-State’s veterinary college: Jianfa Bai, Santosh Dhakal, Natasha N. Gaudreault, Tae Kim, Waithaka Mwangi, Roman M. Pogranichniy, Jürgen A. Richt and Dana L. Vanlandingham.

“The need to evaluate safety and efficacy of experimental vaccines for high consequence transboundary animal diseases has increased significantly since 2018, but the availability of suitable high-level biosecurity research facilities and associated expertise in public and private domains is very limited,” Shi explains in the release. “Vaccines for transboundary animal diseases are frequently procured by international aid agencies. However, these agencies have very limited resources on ‘fit for purpose’ analysis and quality evaluation of the vaccines before they are purchased.”

Additionally, Shi notes the “One Health” initiative, which aims to promote vaccines as alternatives to antibiotics in food animal production practice — has faced multiple challenges, including the efficacy, availability and affordability of current commercial bacterial vaccines, Shi believes new policies and public-private partnerships are needed to accelerate targeted research and development of new vaccines to improve animal health and reduce antibiotic consumption and antimicrobial resistance risk.

Genvax Technologies Secures $6.5 Million to Advance Novel Vaccine Platform

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 20:39:46 GMT

Genvax Technologies, a startup dedicated to bringing advances in self-amplifying mRNA (saRNA) vaccine production to animal health, has secured $6.5 million in series seed funding.

United Animal Health led the financing with participation from Johnsonville Ventures, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Summit Agricultural Group and Ag Startup Engine. This investor coalition represents animal health, nutrition, feed, meat packers and consumer products in the fight against existing and emerging threats to the food supply chain.

“The threat posed to producers and consumers by foreign animal diseases like African swine fever (ASF) and constantly mutating variants of swine influenza is extraordinary,” Joel Harris, CEO and co-founder of Genvax Technologies, said in a release. “The goal is to develop a vaccine that matches 100% to the specific strain when a disease outbreak occurs.”

This funding moves the company a step forward to USDA and international regulatory approval of its vaccines in anticipation of any foreign animal disease outbreak, Genvax said in a release.

“For ASF, Genvax’s vaccine could be an important tool for eradication efforts and may alleviate any concerns with trading partners abroad. In addition, the financial and public support of multiple stakeholders like United Animal Health and others in the food industry is a huge validation of this technology’s promise,” Harris said in a release.

The company’s proprietary saRNA platform allows for rapid development of herd-specific vaccines matched 100% to the variant strain circulating in an animal-production operation. By inserting a specific transgene or “gene of interest” (GOI) matched to the variant strain into the platform, the saRNA can generate an antibody response without requiring the whole pathogen, Genvax explained.

“United Animal Health sees Genvax and self-amplifying mRNA vaccines as the cutting edge of technology to protect the industries we serve,” Scott Holmstrom, Ph.D., senior vice president, research and development of United Animal Health, said in a release. “These technologies are critical to food security and protein availability. We are excited to be offering our innovation and research farms to work carefully with Genvax in developing these future products.”

In April 2022, Genvax received more than $145,000 in grant funding from the USDA-Agricultural Research Services Plum Island Animal Disease Center and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) to develop a saRNA vaccine for ASF virus. Genvax, founded in February 2021 by animal health serial entrepreneurs Joel Harris and Hank Harris, DVM Ph.D., has raised $1.9 million in a pre-seed round of funding, the release said, in addition to the USDA and FFAR grant.

ASF is a deadly virus of pigs that can cause up to 100% mortality in pigs and could decimate the income of U.S. pork producers and force layoffs, significantly reducing rural employment. Economic models estimate the worst case scenario of an ASF outbreak in the U.S. would result in a $50 billion loss to the domestic pig industry.

“We’ve been impressed with Joel Harris and the Genvax team, in addition to the novel technology they are developing,” Kevin Ladwig, managing director of Johnsonville Ventures, said in a release. “As a stakeholder in the pork industry, we feel this is a necessary step in helping prepare for and protect against African swine fever and other emerging diseases.”

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Ordinary to Outrageous: Top 10 Agricultural Seizures of 2021

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 20:42:12 GMT

It’s no surprise pork products made the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) Top 10 Agriculture Seizures of 2021 list more than once. Keeping deadly diseases of plants and animals out of the U.S. is a high priority for CBP, especially as the deadly African swine fever (ASF) virus moves closer to the U.S.

In the past year alone, CBP issued 73,917 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products entering the U.S., the agency reports . In addition, CBP conducted 630,150 positive passenger inspections and issued 7,190 civil penalties and/or violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items.

Here are the Top 10 agricultural finds of 2021 from throughout the U.S.:

1. Papaya-Hidden Marijuana

In February, CBP officers at the commercial facility at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry seized more than 12,000 pounds of marijuana with a street value of $27 million found commingled within a shipment of papayas. A CBP narcotic detector dog immediately alerted to the shipment during a second inspection, and officers discovered 873 wrapped packages of marijuana.

2. Avian Eggs

In April, CBP ag specialists at the port of Memphis, Tenn., inspected a shipment from China on its way to New York City manifested as “The Scarf” and found that the shipment actually contained 750 unfertilized avian eggs. According to USDA, China is currently affected with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and Newcastle Disease, both of which are highly contagious and fatal to the U.S. poultry industry and various avian wildlife. The eggs were not accompanied by any documentation detailing the genus or species, nor was there any indication of their purpose, so they were destroyed.

3. Giant Land Snails and a ¼ Pound of Beef

CBP ag specialists working at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston intercepted 15 live giant land snails from a passenger’s luggage in early July. The passenger was traveling from Nigeria and initially only declared dried beef, but later amended her declaration to include live snails. During an examination of the passenger’s luggage, agriculture specialists found three plastic zip-closed bags containing the live snails with fresh leaves and about a quarter pound of beef. The snails were turned over to USDA, who identified the snails as giant land snails, also known as banana rasp snails.

4. Pork Sausages

In August, CBP agriculture specialists assigned to the Boston Logan International Airport encountered a 35-year-old female arriving from Santiago, Dominican Republic. During a baggage examination, 11 kilograms of pork sausages were discovered. Just a month prior, Dominican Republic officials confirmed the presence of African swine fever, a highly contagious disease of feral and domestic swine. The pork sausages at the Boston airport were removed and turned over to a USDA hauler for destruction.

(Farm Journal)

Ag specialists uncovered 320 pounds of pork bologna and 30 pounds of turkey ham at the Paso Del Norte Border Crossing. Photo by U.S. CBP.

5. A Bunch of Bologna

CBP ag specialists assigned to the Paso Del Norte Border Crossing seized 320 pounds of pork bologna and 30 pounds of turkey ham in August. The meat was discovered during an inspection and had been hidden under blankets, under the seats, center console and inside a duffel bag. The individual was issued a $1,000 civil penalty, and the products were confiscated.

6. Botulinum and E.coli DNA Plasmids

A traveler arriving from Japan “reluctantly declared” he was in possession of Botulinum and E. coli DNA plasmids intended for research in September, CBP reports. An inspection revealed 27 vials of the biological material. The traveler lacked the required documents, including the official statement attesting to the non-infectiousness of the material, required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After reviewing the samples, CDC agreed that more information was needed to determine admissibility. The traveler withdrew his application for admission to the U.S. and returned to his country with the biological materials.

7. Butterfly Larvae

Also in September, CBP agriculture specialists at the Port of Gulfport discovered a butterfly larvae pest, informally known as the Saunders 1850, while inspecting a shipment container of pineapples from Costa Rica. Due to the potential impact to U.S. agriculture, the shipment of pineapples, worth $15,000, was destroyed. According to USDA, this was the first time this species had been discovered in the United States.

8. Primate Arms, Dry Fish, Cooked Snails, Cow Skin and What?

In October, CBP’s agriculture team in Minneapolis discovered six large bags containing clothing, two primate arms, dry fish, cooked snails, plant material, cow skin, bushmeat and eru plant material. After notifying the CDC, the team seized the primate arms and bushmeat and destroyed them according to USDA protocol. The seeds were submitted to USDA for identification and the passenger was informed of human-health concerns with handling and consuming bushmeat, including the potential transmission of ebola and monkeypox viruses.

(Farm Journal)

A total of 47 roosters and hens were found wrapped in stockings inside a purse, and underneath the seats, floor mats, inside the glove compartment and trunk of a vehicle at the Laredo Port of Entry. Photo by U.S. CBP.

9. Live Poultry

CBP officers at the Laredo Port of Entry intercepted a l arge clutch of live poultry hidden throughout a vehicle back in November. A total of 47 roosters and hens were found wrapped in stockings inside a purse, and underneath the seats, floor mats, inside the glove compartment and trunk of a vehicle in the SENTRI lane. A $500 penalty was issued to the driver for attempting to import prohibited agriculture items while being a SENTRI card holder. The SENTRI card was turned in to the SENTRI Enrollment Center, the vehicle was seized by CBP under 19 USC 1595, and the live poultry were seized and transferred to USDA’s Veterinary Services.

10. Fresh Peppers

In December, CBP ag specialists in Newark encountered a shipment of fresh peppers from Guatemala. During document review, the provided phytosanitary certificate, which must be used to facilitate importer plants and plant products, was blurry, and an original certificate could not be found. It was later discovered that the certification was fraudulent, which can alter the options for phytosanitary actions that must be taken to prevent the entry of plant pests, prohibited plant products, or animal products capable of introducing foreign animal diseases.

In an attempt to ease the process for travelers needing to declare agriculture and biological products prior to arriving at an airport in the U.S., CBP has moved the declaration process to the CBP One mobile application, which will give travelers more transparency throughout the request process, including real-time status updates by way of pushed notifications, which can also be sent to a group email, CBP reports. Travelers can also upload documents such as accompanying permits, certificates or statements of non-infectiousness for CBP review prior to arrival. Learn more here .

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APHIS Awards $16.3 Million in Farm Bill Funding to Protect Animal Health

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 20:20:34 GMT

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is awarding more than $16.3 million to 64 projects with states, universities and other partners to strengthen programs to protect animal health.

“Ensuring the health of animals helps protect and preserve U.S. export markets and keeping foreign animal diseases out of the U.S. helps us expand export opportunities for rural America to more and better markets,” USDA said in a release.

Not only will this funding support projects focused on enhancing vaccine distribution plans and supporting animal movement decisions in high-consequence animal disease outbreaks, but it will also support delivering outreach and education on animal disease prevention and preparedness and developing point-of-care diagnostic tests to rapidly detect foreign animal diseases. This critical funding also supports projects to enhance early detection of high-impact animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at veterinary diagnostic laboratories that are part of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), USDA noted.

“These funding awards will help ensure the ongoing health of our nation’s livestock and poultry,” Jenny Lester Moffitt, Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs said in a release. “Safeguarding U.S. animal health helps us expand export opportunities for rural America to more and better markets, while providing consistent access to safe, healthy, and affordable food for U.S. consumers. The preparedness and response activities we are funding today will help us address the animal disease issues of tomorrow and arm us with the best science available to retain international markets and feed our families and the world. I look forward to seeing the progress USDA and its partners make with these funds.”

In the 2018 Farm Bill, funding for these programs was provided as part of an overall strategy to help prevent animal pests and diseases from entering the U.S. and reduce the spread and impact of potential disease incursions with the goal or protecting and expanding market opportunities for U.S. agricultural products. This marks the third year APHIS is providing this Farm Bill funding. Last year, $14.4 million was approved to fund 76 projects.

National Animal Disease Preparedness and Response Program (NADPRP)

APHIS is awarding $7.6 million through the NADPRP. The 36 NADPRP-funded projects will individually and collectively address critical concerns in areas of vaccine distribution, animal movement and business continuity during a disease outbreak, and disease prevention and preparedness outreach and education. These projects will be led by state animal health authorities in 21 states, land-grant universities and industry/veterinary organizations.

National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)

APHIS is awarding $4.4 million through the NAHLN. The 21 NAHLN-funded projects will be led by NAHLN laboratories representing 14 states. The projects will help NAHLN enhance early detection of high-consequence animal diseases and improve emergency response capabilities at NAHLN veterinary diagnostic laboratories. This funding is in addition to the $2.5 million provided noncompetitively for NAHLN infrastructure.

Joint NADPRP/NAHLN

APHIS is awarding $4.3 million for seven NADPRP/NAHLN joint projects representing six states. These projects will support the development and/or evaluation of point-of-care diagnostic tests to enhance the nation’s ability to quickly detect high-consequence FADs and accelerate response and containment efforts. This is the first joint competitive funding opportunity provided by NAHLN and NADPRP.

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New Veterinary Toxicology Training Program Created at K-State

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 13:21:05 GMT

Rapid response to animal health emergencies has prompted the creation of a new veterinary toxicology training program at Kansas State University. A $248,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant will enhance the ability of researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine to answer calls for help.

The goal of the program, developed by Steve Ensley, clinical veterinary toxicologist, and Bob Larson, professor of production medicine, is to create impactful and innovative outreach tools. This will better enable livestock veterinarians to recognize and address toxicology problems in food animal species, especially cattle, small ruminants and pigs.

This project will utilize veterinary telemedicine and other distance-based education resources, including a toxicology call-in hotline for practicing veterinarians called CONSULT — Collaborative, Online, Novel, Science-based, User-friendly, Learning Tool — for common livestock toxicology problems, and YouTube training videos.

The nationwide call-in service to address common food animal toxicological emergencies was identified as a priority by the researchers.

“The toxicology section at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Lab and I receive multiple calls each day dealing with questions about food animal veterinary toxicology from across the U.S.,” Ensley said. “Many questions are about current cases that veterinarians are dealing with and they want assistance in answering specific questions. Because of the infrequent nature of most toxicological case presentations, many practicing veterinarians find it difficult to maintain the current knowledge necessary to quickly address specific toxicological emergencies.”

The outreach portals created with the grant provide new and valuable resources to practitioners.

“This program will greatly enhance currently available toxicology resources for teaching veterinary nurses and veterinary students during the last two years of their professional education,” Larson said.

Some of the resources can be modified to be content-appropriate to introduce important animal health concepts to high school students in grades 11 and 12, he said.

Outreach portals for the training materials will include the websites for the Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, K-State Veterinary Medical Continuing Education and the Colby Community College veterinary nursing program.

Telemedicine and African Swine Fever: 5 Reasons to Take a Closer Look

Tue, 19 Oct 2021 23:31:04 GMT

The COVID-19 pandemic and the shortage of food animal veterinarians have catapulted the concept of telemedicine forward. As the threat of African swine fever (ASF) inches closer to the U.S., experts say telemedicine could become an even more useful tool for the pork industry to utilize.

“In the event of an outbreak of ASF in the U.S., veterinary resources will become even more severely strained as biosecurity, distance and logistical barriers will necessitate the use of telemedicine to limit in-person contact with affected swine and ensure timely decision-making,” says Gil Patterson, VMD, chief medical officer at veterinary technology company, VetNOW .

What Exactly is Telemedicine?

When it comes to telemedicine, food animal veterinarians have been practicing the concept for some time even if they didn’t realize it, Patterson explains.

“Veterinarians have been haphazardly sharing pics and sending texts for a long time. Moving those client communications to a formalized telemedicine platform provides a degree of professionalism and robustness that wasn’t there before,” Patterson says.

Telemedicine services can offer a secure platform for veterinarians to conduct farm or pet visits with clients within an established Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR), and allows for the sharing and storage of medical documents and multimedia (photos/live video) under one umbrella. It also allows the veterinarian to track time and effort, make notes about cases or communication history, and more.

Electronic monitoring of herds and electronic prescriptions are part of telemedicine, too, explains Abbey Canon, DVM, director of public health and communications for the American Association of Swine Veterinarians .

“No doubt we will continue to expand technology that can facilitate telemedicine,” she adds.

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a policy on telemedicine, Canon points out. That policy states, “The AVMA believes that veterinary telemedicine should only be conducted within an existing VCPR, with the exception for advice given in an emergency until that patient can be seen by a veterinarian.”

COVID-19 brought telemedicine into the limelight, but what does the future of this service hold?

“Whether we like it or not, COVID-19 certainly pushed the industry along into the future. Everyone’s comfort level and acceptance of doing meetings on Zoom is forever changed. We’ve gotten savvier about meeting online. We’ve discovered ways to be present and connect with people like never before,” he says.

Telemedicine is not intended to replace in-person visits. Patterson believes it’s critically important for veterinarians to be on the farm. But in between those visits, there are things that might pop up. Telemedicine is a tool to supplement the accessibility and availability of veterinarians in between those on-farm visits, especially when some veterinarians and farms are hundreds of miles apart.

“I see a lot of advantages to telemedicine in terms of helping the animals,” he says. “Better veterinary care and easier access to veterinary care first and foremost is going to equal better animal health.”

So, What Holds Producers Back?

More and more people are seeing the value in telemedicine, Patterson says. Clients understand the advantages of having secure connections and keeping medical records in one place.

“But there is definitely a ‘breaking old habits’ factor that we have run into when vets are used to sending texts, doing FaceTime over the phone – that is a change in behavior which falls on the shoulders of vets to say they are switching over to a more formalized approach to telemedicine,” he says.

Determining the right balance between a quick text about the dose of a medicine versus the need for an online consultation will be an important step as more veterinarians consider including telemedicine services.

As barns get “smarter” with more cameras, monitoring systems, microphones to measure coughing frequency, Patterson says telemedicine is one more tool to bring the veterinarian’s eyes and ears into the barn. Combined with technologies such as these, the value of the virtual visit is enhanced by providing more material to make informed decisions.

“Telemedicine is an emerging industry that is getting better and better at helping veterinarians stay connected with their clients out in the field. It helps promote veterinarian accessibility and access. Especially in the food animal realm where we often deal with biosecurity, distance and weather, which may prevent us from actually getting out there in person,” Patterson says.

Five Ways Telemedicine Can Help in an ASF Outbreak

If an ASF outbreak takes place in the U.S. and is controlled and exports can return within two years, Dermot Hayes, an Iowa State University economist, says it will still result in $15 billion in lost revenue. If it isn’t controlled, he projects that number at $50 billion in lost revenue over 10 years.

To say an ASF outbreak would be devastating is an understatement.

Telemedicine could play an important role in an ASF response strategy. Patterson shares five valuable ways telemedicine can help.

1. A tool to rapidly get “eyes” into a farm when there is a suspected ASF case, while providing oversight and direction of diagnostic sample collection.
2. A platform to support regional business continuity as part of swine movement risk assessments.
3. A way to perform biosecurity auditing of farms to identify at-risk populations.
4. A secure medium to discuss potentially sensitive conversations where high-impact decisions need to be made.
5. An opportunity to share and synchronize information from state and federal diagnostic labs.

“I think telemedicine can be beneficial during a foreign animal disease outbreak,” Canon agrees. “With the additional downtime requirements that will be implemented during an FAD incursion, simply put, we do not have enough swine veterinarians to visit every farm to conduct routine herd health visits, address endemic disease challenges, evaluate animals for movement and collect samples. We might not know exactly how it will look, but telemedicine will likely play a role in an FAD response and recovery.”

Learn More:
AVMA offers additional resources for telemedicine to veterinarians practicing on all species.

Take a look at this interactive map describing the current VCPR laws and regulations surrounding telemedicine in every state provided by the Veterinary Virtual Care Association

Read More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Telemedicine: Videochats with Veterinarians

Will COVID-19 Speed the Adoption of Technology in the Pork Industry?

Telemedicine Lowers Wait-Time for Rural Health Care

BREAKING: New Vaccine Candidate Blocks Spread of African Swine Fever Virus

Fri, 01 Oct 2021 20:43:26 GMT

A new African swine fever (ASF) vaccine candidate has been shown to prevent and effectively protect both European and Asian bred swine against the current circulating Asian strain of the virus, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) reports.

Newly published USDA research in the journal Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, shows that ARS scientists have developed a vaccine candidate with the ability to be commercially produced while still maintaining its vaccine efficacy against Asian ASF virus strains when tested in both European and Asian breeds of swine, ARS reported in a release.

The findings also confirm that a commercial partner can replicate experimental level results and prevent the spread of the virus. According to ARS, previous studies were done under laboratory conditions only in European-bred pigs using an ASF virus isolate, or sample, from the initial outbreak.

ARS researcher Douglas Gladue said, “We are excited that our team’s research has resulted in promising vaccine results that are able to be repeated on a commercial level, in different pig breeds, and by using a recent ASFV isolate. This signals that the live attenuated vaccine candidate could play an important role in controlling the ongoing outbreak threatening the global pork supply.”

Studies of this new vaccine candidate revealed immunity occurred in approximately one-third of swine by second week post-vaccination, with full protection in all swine achieved by the fourth week.

A commercial vaccine for ASF virus will be an important part of controlling disease spread in outbreak areas. Researchers will continue to determine the safety and efficacy of the vaccine under commercial production conditions and are closely working with their commercial partner in Vietnam.

“This is a major step for science and agriculture,” pointed out ARS researcher Manuel Borca. “We are working carefully to see our vaccine candidate commercialized through the joint efforts of the U.S. government, and our commercial partner, the Navetco National Veterinary Joint Stock Company.”

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack applauds the research and protection efforts underway at USDA’s ARS and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to prevent the spread of ASF virus.

“Scientific research, discovery, surveillance and detection are critical to solving challenging problems that American producers face to keep our food supply robust and safe,” Vilsack said.

To date, ARS has successfully engineered and patented five ASF experimental vaccines and has fully executed seven licenses with pharmaceutical companies to develop the vaccines. ARS continues to evaluate additional commercial partners to develop these vaccines.

“The partnership between APHIS and ARS is critical in protecting U.S. animal agriculture from devastating diseases like ASF,” said Kevin Shea, APHIS Administrator. “ARS’s work in researching and developing vaccine candidates provides valuable tools to animal health organizations worldwide in combating ASF. APHIS is ready to evaluate potential ASF vaccines for use in the United States.”

All U.S. vaccine candidates have to go through the APHIS regulatory approval process for use in U.S. swine, the release explained.

“We are excited that our team’s research has resulted in promising vaccine candidates that are able to prevent and protect different swine breeds against the current ASF virus,” said ARS Administrator Chavonda Jacobs-Young. “Vaccine candidates could play an important role in controlling the ongoing outbreak threatening global swine health.”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

ASF Vaccines: Is the Waiting Game Almost Over?

5 Pork Industry Experts Weigh in on the Threat of ASF

Put Guards in Place to Defend Your Farm

Close All the Windows to Keep ASF Out

ASF in the Western Hemisphere: What’s Different 40 Years Later?

It’s Time to Batten Down the Hatches, Pork Industry Experts Say

Learn more about what the industry is doing to prevent ASF from entering the country.

Study Affirms U.S. Pork Industry’s Efforts to Keep ASF Out

Wed, 08 Sep 2021 18:19:58 GMT

The time you are most at risk for something is when you don’t know it’s a risk, says Patrick Webb, DVM, National Pork Board acting chief veterinarian.

That’s why a new year-long study to identify U.S. pork industry gaps in biosecurity defenses against foreign animal diseases is creating such a stir. And it’s not because the study found a problem, Webb says.

The study, conducted by EpiX Analytics, LLC, and funded by the Pork Checkoff and the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), found no major areas have been overlooked in efforts to prevent the introduction of African swine fever (ASF) to the U.S.

With the recent confirmation of ASF in the Dominican Republic, Webb hopes this study provides reassurance the U.S. pork industry and government agencies have identified the major routes of potential domestic introduction and are on the right path to keep foreign animal diseases out of the U.S.

“This EpiX review provided a third-party evaluation of potential gaps in national biosecurity that could put the U.S. swine industry at risk of a viral introduction. It is reassuring that the review did not find any gaps that we were not already aware of and working to address,” says Harry Snelson, DVM, executive director of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV).

EpiX took a look at eight foreign animal disease (FAD) entry pathways: legal import of live animals, illegal import of live animals, import of pork products, import of feed and feed ingredients, fomites associated with international movements, international movement of people, transboundary movements of wildlife and vectors, and intentional and accidental release.

Gaps were then prioritized using a defined set of criteria. Extensive literature review along with input from an advisory group made up of representatives of academia, industry, and government were also highly considered in EpiX process.

“The study identified and looked into the vulnerabilities of bringing FADs into the U.S.,” says Paul Sundberg, DVM, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC).

Closing those pathways as best as possible, along with the partnership of the producers’ on-farm biosecurity implementation, is key to the continued safety of the U.S. swine herd, Sundberg says.

The Work’s Not Done
Although the report was encouraging, Webb says more work needs to be done. The study supports the industry in prioritizing next steps to bolster ASF prevention and preparedness.

“The illegal import of animals and pork products, to me personally is a big area of concern,” Webb says. “The sooner we can catch someone before they board a plane or after they get off the plane with an illegally imported pork product, the better to prevent it from entering the potential risk pathway for getting ingested by a pig.”

The vulnerability of illegal import of meat is being addressed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection along with USDA programs to decrease the risk, Webb says.

The EpiX work also validated the industry’s assumption that there is still vulnerability from imported feed and feed ingredients, encouraging further research. Other vulnerabilities, such as feral swine and illegal or out-of-regulatory-compliance garbage feeding, were also identified as areas for the industry to continue working to address.

“We must continue to work together to find real-world solutions for producers and their suppliers to implement that can help keep our national herd free of this costly virus,” Webb says. “The discovery of ASF in the Dominican Republic has pushed a lot of buttons on the preparedness side. I’ve seen a reprioritization of emergency preparedness related to the Dominican Republic.”

Webb says the National Pork Board’s board of directors is incredibly motivated to support USDA in whatever the organization needs to reduce risk.

“Knowing we have accurately identified the potential ASF pathways allows us to sharpen our focus on further strengthening biosecurity defenses in the right places,” said Liz Wagstrom, DVM, National Pork Producer Council’s (NPPC) chief veterinarian. “These efforts include ongoing work by the Cooperative Feed Risk Task Force – with representation from the USDA, FDA, industry and academia – to inform feed purchasing, holding time and treatment practices.”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

ASF Vaccines: Is the Waiting Game Almost Over?

Close All the Windows to Keep ASF Out

ASF in the Western Hemisphere: What’s Different 40 Years Later?

It’s Time to Batten Down the Hatches, Pork Industry Experts Say

Learn more about what the industry is doing to prevent ASF from entering the country.

ASF Vaccines: Is the Waiting Game Almost Over?

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 21:06:02 GMT

Although there’s no licensed commercial vaccine for African swine fever (ASF) available, experts say they are encouraged by the progress that’s been made in the last few years.

When asked about a vaccine in 2018, Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Paul Sundberg says, “The collective response was ‘Holy Smokes, there’s a lot of work to do!’ Ask that same question now, and the response will be much more optimistic.”

Sundberg believes the industry might be within three years of securing a safe, effective vaccine. Vaccine prototypes are being tested in the field right now and Sundberg says that’s a huge step.

“That huge step was taken with a lot of work from a lot of researchers around the world,” he says. “I think the vaccine is being worked on as hard as it can be as quickly as possible.”

Why is an ASF Vaccine So Hard to Develop?
ASF is a large DNA virus, explains Patrick Webb, DVM, acting chief veterinarian for the National Pork Board. A lot of work has been done to try to figure out which protective proteins should be targeted on its surface to provide the immunity needed.

In addition to that struggle, he says, “Any type of foreign animal disease research is expensive because it’s done in containment, for the most part. It takes time, and it takes money.”

The Pork Checkoff has been funding various projects related to African swine fever vaccine, diagnostics, and other gaps that need to be addressed.

“But the vaccine issue has been a big one,” Webb admits. “After it got into Georgia (country) in 2007, countries started paying attention again on the vaccine side. The EU has had a couple of large calls for projects for vaccine development. Right now, as a result of all that work bubbling along, there are some promising candidates are out there.”

USDA has a platform that they’re doing field trials and getting along with, so hopefully, that’s going to lead to some good information regarding their platform, Webb says. There are some other candidates that are finishing up development or are in evaluation phase.

Filling the Gaps in Research
“There’s still some gaps out there. National Pork Board continues to look at funding specific and targeted ASF vaccine projects to try to push things along,” Webb says.

At this point, don’t rely on a vaccine to fix ASF, Sundberg says. It’s easy to get into the trap of giving an injection to fix a health problem. But that’s not a solution for ASF at this time.

“I’m cautiously optimistic that we will have a vaccine now in the foreseeable future,” Sundberg says, “rather than in some time in the future because of the three problems with ASF vaccines that we’ve overcome.”

Vaccine Progress
He referenced three challenges with ASF vaccines that research has achieved:

1. USDA researchers have identified a cell line that could be used for vaccine production in the future.

2. Some vaccinated pigs were sensitized such that they had a type of allergic reaction when they came into contact with the wild virus and would die faster than those not vaccinated. Current vaccine candidates take advantage of gene editing technology that can focus on specific proteins to be able to confer immunity.

3. Figuring out where you could make a vaccine from because the virus itself is so large. Many different organizations across the world are focusing on vaccine development with the goal of having a safe and effective vaccine that can be recognized as vaccine versus wild-type viruses.

“It’s a waiting game,” Webb says. “What we need is a really good product with really good immunity that can be protective across different strains of the virus. But chances are the first commercial product will probably address the most common circulating strain shown to be effective. It still boils down to good biosecurity and risk reduction to control this disease.”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

Close All the Windows to Keep ASF Out

ASF in the Western Hemisphere: What’s Different 40 Years Later?

It’s Time to Batten Down the Hatches, Pork Industry Experts Say

Learn more about what the industry is doing to prevent ASF from entering the country.

It’s Unlikely the U.S. Will Escape ASF

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 19:19:33 GMT

By Dennis DiPietre and Lance Mulberry

There is a palpable feeling of concern about the emergence of African swine fever (ASF) on U.S. soil now that it has entered our hemisphere on the island nation of the Dominican Republic. While there are lots of reasons to believe its presence there is not a sure sign it will penetrate the U.S. industry, still, everyone in the past two years has become acutely focused on the disease and how slippery it is to contain.

One of the biggest “educators” for lay citizens and industry professionals has come via the COVID-19 pandemic and its surprising re-emergence this summer when most viral diseases go dormant before springing back into action around October. For pork producers, the arrival of an especially virulent form of PRRS along with ASF in Germany and now again on a large farm in South Korea, and its leap from wild boars to seemingly biosecure production systems in Poland remind us disease control and elimination is possible but always fraught with high probability of failure.

I have been to the Dominican Republic and remember the re-entry into Miami International airport. It was one of the very few times customs agents didn’t wait for us to get to the entry hall; they met the plane at the gate and at stations along the pathway to entry, pulling aside entrants who somehow failed their profiling strategy for further questions. I vividly remember the open suitcases in the agricultural inspection area with raw, bloody meat laying on top of garbage bags and people being pulled aside right and left. Three cheers for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but they will bluntly confess they interdict under 50% of such illegal personal baggage shipments.

Usually, the meat is destined for a family meal, cut in traditional ways unavailable in U.S. supermarkets, to support the preparation of ethnic dishes. The odds tend to favor containment in those situations since we no longer have millions of small hog farms where the scraps from such a meal might be fed to other pigs.

Such is especially the case in Florida and New York, the main entry points for travel into the U.S. from the Dominican Republic, where family pig farms are rare but feral hogs abound. Once eradication begins, a new incentive arises for moving pork out of the disease zone to capture some value. This was especially a problem in several Asian countries, where early signs of the disease on a farm resulted in reports of strategic depopulation to avoid the financial loss of condemnation that would likely follow if the diseased barns became well known and attracted regulatory interest. Since ASF does not harm humans, black market shipments of condemned carcasses at big discounts tend to make containment a vexing problem for months on end and threaten to push infected pork to the export market, destined for small international broker’s warehouses all over the globe.

We know ASF came to the Dominican Republic from some area of the world where it is present in wild boar or domestic pigs. There are more than a handful of countries now that could be the origin of this outbreak. It had to arrive by ship or aircraft, and pass through the inspection process, before making it to a farm. Whether it was carried in meat or live animals, processed feed or on contaminated clothing will be the subject of a very serious inquiry.

The U.S. industry has been way ahead of the ballgame developing containment and regionalization strategies and commitments to try to keep the export markets from complete freefall if the contagion arrives. However, those firewalls might give way depending on how long it is here before it is discovered and thereby how far it has spread before it is recognized.

Based on the number of follow-on cases in Germany after the first animal tested positive, it was on German soil a long time before it was “discovered.” While it might not be more likely just because it has been discovered in the Dominican Republic, it seems increasingly unlikely the U.S. will escape it because disease organisms are especially adept at eventually moving past all containment strategies. Combine that with the assistance of human greed, carelessness and a global market and its nearly an unbeatable combination.

Opinions expressed in this column are the opinions of Dennis DiPietre and Lance Mulberry and do not represent the opinions of Farm Journal’s PORK.

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CBP Casts Wide Net to Assess African Swine Fever Threats to the U.S.

Oklahoma Makes Strides to Decrease Feral Swine Population

Keeping Up Our Defenses on ASF

China’s Sow Herd Shrinks in July, First Decline in Almost 2 Years

Feds Issue New Rules for Importing Dogs from ASF-Positive Countries

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 20:27:37 GMT

The number of dogs being imported into the U.S. for resale from countries affected by African swine fever (ASF) is growing. Combine that with an increasing risk of foreign animal disease spread, and it’s a formula for potential disaster.

That’s why USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a Federal Order on Friday establishing additional requirements that take effect immediately for dogs imported into the U.S. for resale from countries where ASF exists.

“Each year, several thousand dogs enter the country for resale or adoption. If even one of these animals carried ASF into the country, it could put the U.S. swine herd and other livestock in jeopardy and have disastrous consequences for our nation’s agriculture sector,” National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) Chief Veterinarian Liz Wagstrom said in a release. “We thank USDA for implementing these additional safety measures to prevent the spread of ASF to the United States.”

Effective immediately, importers of dogs into the U.S. for resale from a region in which ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist, must submit written documentation verifying completion of the following requirements:

• The dog(s) and their shipping crate/container must be free of dirt, wood shavings, hay, straw, or any other organic/natural bedding material.

• All bedding that accompanies the dog(s) during transit must be properly disposed of at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration.

• Each dog must have an ISO-compliant microchip implanted, and the individual microchip number must be verified immediately before each animal is bathed.

• Each dog must be bathed at the U.S. post-entry point(s) of concentration within two calendar days of arrival in the United States. Bathing must be documented in the Veterinary Services Dog Import Record.

ASF is not a threat to human health but is a highly contagious disease of wild and domestic swine that can spread rapidly in swine populations, leading to extremely high rates of morbidity and mortality, USDA explains.

This deadly virus of pigs can be transmitted via dogs’ fur and bedding, and due to the severity of the disease, APHIS remains committed to taking precautions to protect the U.S. swine population.

“USDA continues to work with a wide range of partners including the swine industry, our producers, other government agencies, and neighboring countries to keep ASF out of North America. At the same time, we have response plans in place and incident management teams ready to deploy in case ASF does reach the United States,” USDA said in a release.

Healthy Dog Importation Act
The Healthy Dog Importation Act, an American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA)-championed bill, was introduced in the Senate on Aug. 4.

Sens. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced the act in an effort to build momentum for better standards related to dog importation. Recently, the AVMA reaffirmed its support for the legislation when Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.) and Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), co-chairs of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, reintroduced it in the House of Representatives.

If passed into law, USDA and other federal agencies would receive the necessary resources to responsibly screen the large number of dogs entering the U.S. each year, AVMA said in a release. It would also require every imported dog to have a certificate of veterinary inspection from a licensed veterinarian confirming the dog is of good health and not a risk to spread diseases that could endanger animal and public health.

“The evidence for the need to permanently improve dog importation standards is overwhelming,” José Arce, AVMA president, said in a release. “The recent CDC notice has emphasized the necessity to ensure dogs entering the country are in good health and not a risk to spread dangerous diseases. In order to protect public health, we must enact legislation that equips the federal government with the necessary resources to properly screen these dogs.”

The proposed legislation would help create an electronic database containing documentation and import permits to help streamline federal oversight.

“Maintaining animal health is critical to our nation’s overall public health goals. It’s important that we work to stop the spread of diseases that can hurt both animals and humans,” Grassley said in the release. “This commonsense proposal will expand an already existing program to ensure that all dogs entering the country are healthy and not at risk of spreading dangerous diseases.”

More information on ASF, partner resources and additional resources for producers and veterinarians are available on the APHIS ASF webpage .

Stay up to date on the latest ASF News .

Do Imported Rescue Dogs Pose Threat to Livestock Industry?

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 21:12:48 GMT

Each year, several thousand dogs enter the U.S. for resale or adoption. In a recent Hogs on the Hill article, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) chief veterinarian Liz Wagstrom wrote that it’s time to sound the alarm on importing rescue dogs.

Why? Increasingly rescue dogs are being imported from countries where foreign animal diseases (FADs) such as African swine fever (ASF) are present. As the U.S. devotes funding and increases efforts to protect U.S. borders from possible threats that could harm our country, she explained this largely unknown FAD risk must be addressed to protect U.S. livestock and agriculture from FADs.

“While the dogs are not known to be susceptible to or carry FADs, there is the potential for bedding, crates or contamination of the dogs’ coats to serve as disease carriers. As a veterinarian, and a dog owner, this potential is alarming,” Wagstrom wrote.

Some of these dogs entering the U.S. may have been rescued from wet markets, while others from operations which raise dogs expressly for export. All it takes is one of these animals carrying an FAD into the country to put the U.S. swine herd and other livestock in jeopardy. Wagstrom wrote this could have disastrous consequences for our nation’s agriculture sector.

This risk is compounded because although both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the USDA have separate and distinct responsibilities over the importation of dogs, there is no single federal agency with comprehensive oversight of the issue, she added. There is also not a central federal website to apply for an import permit to bring dogs for sale or adoption into the country.

“A solution is within our grasp,” Wagstrom wrote. “USDA, under the Animal Health Protection Act, has the authority to develop rules for the safe importation of dogs from FAD-positive countries to protect the livestock industry. NPPC looks forward to continuing to work with the agency to ensure U.S. pork producers and our nation remains safe and protected from devastating FAD outbreaks.”

More from Farm Journal’s PORK:

It’s Time for a Better Approach for Disease Surveillance

African Swine Fever in China: A Truth Somewhere in Between, Vilsack Says

Will TADD Process Inactivate ASF Virus in Transport Trailers?

Vilsack Weighs In On Parallel Between COVID-19 and Animal Disease Outbreaks

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 13:36:43 GMT

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the country anything, USDA Secretary of Agriculture nominee Tom Vilsack said it’s that there is a tremendous amount of synergy between the circumstances of a pandemic involving humans and those involving animals.

During the Coalition for Epi Response, Engagement and Science (CERES) Biosecurity Infectious Disease Symposium at Colorado State University (CSU) on Jan. 28, Vilsack explored the parallels between the animal and human infectious disease pandemics with CSU Vice President for Research Alan Rudolph.

A coordinated response
Vilsack said there are three lessons learned from the pandemic that can help the country better prepare for future human and animal infectious disease outbreaks.

“It’s pretty clear. Lesson number one is the sooner you can detect a problem, the better,” Vilsack said. “Clearly, we didn’t respond aggressively to the pandemic early in the process and we are currently paying for that failure to early detect.”

The second lesson learned is that incredible coordination is required during a disease outbreak, whether it’s an animal disease situation or human disease situation, he said. This starts with the ability of every government level – local, state, federal – to coordinate and work together.

“We’re now seeing that the challenge with reference to the vaccine distribution not being well coordinated, and obviously lives are at stake,” Vilsack said. “Tragically, we are seeing in places like Los Angeles, difficulties with this issue as it relates to the pandemic. We’ve certainly seen it with animal disposal as well. We need a more effective and efficient disposal method.”

Thirdly, the country needs to be able to create, distribute and manufacture vaccines more quickly. All of this involves effective communication, he added.

“It’s pretty clear that we need to continue to invest in research and development, both in animal health and human health and understand the connection and coalition between the two. And that’s going to require some resources. Hopefully, we’ve learned from this pandemic, and previous experiences, that it’s important and necessary to invest in research and development,” Vilsack said.

Human and animal disease parallels
Being able to flex between human and animal disease research is important, Rudolph said. Many of the labs in the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) that sit on land-grant campuses have flexed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Many of these NAHLN diagnostic labs have shifted to being human CLIA diagnostic labs and really supported the infrastructure. We’ve seen a plasticity that I think is also a really interesting lesson learned – that we can flex between human and animal,” Rudolph said.

When Vilsack previously served as Secretary of Agriculture, the U.S. began building new assets to deal with large animal disease outbreaks like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease, Rudolph noted.

“It’s pretty clear that we needed to modernize our facilities,” Vilsack said. “Plum Island was in very difficult shape. And while it was isolated from the continental 48 states and had a significantly lower risk of an escape of some disease or problem that would cause significant problems in the animal world, the move to Manhattan, Kan., creates a very incredibly secure facility with modern capacity to do what we need to do to better understand the nature of disease, how viruses are formulated and how they mutate over a period of time.”

Vilsack said it will be an important asset in the effort to detect disease early and be able to more effectively respond and prevent. However, he said the challenge is that we will always be confronted with animal diseases of one sort or another.

“We learned from the avian influenza situation that it took us a while to figure out what, and then it took us a while to figure out how to produce a vaccine, and then it took us a little while to produce it, and then a little while to distribute it,” Vilsack said. “The reality was that we saw fairly significant destruction of chickens and turkeys that really impacted and affected consumers, and obviously affected producers.”

Because of the pandemic, he believes the country has a heightened awareness now of the necessity of being able to respond quickly and effectively – from a national security perspective and economic security perspective – if the U.S. is hit with a pandemic or animal disease outbreak.

Editor’s Note: The CERES coalition brings together six premier land grant universities: University of California-Davis, Texas A&M University, Colorado State University, Kansas State University, Iowa State University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to mobilize land-grant university discoveries and innovations in agricultural infectious diseases. The coalition has integrated a network of federally funded bio-containment resources for surveillance, diagnostics and countermeasure production, while actively engaging communities through Extension engagement and outreach.

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