African Swine Fever is a contagious hemorrhagic disease that affects all ages of pigs with a very high mortality rate. It is currently spreading through Europe and China and is largely spread through human activity. This disease is an increasing concern for the Canadian pork industry and it is hard to detect in the first few weeks of the outbreak since it starts out looking similar to other diseases. It can be spread in many ways, including through feed, footwear and transport. Since there are no viable vaccines for African Swine Fever, if it did enter Canada, a cull would likely occur. It is recommended that feed is held in storage before feeding, with higher temperatures being more likely to kill the disease; it should be held at 20°C for 20 days or 10°C for 100 days to have a lower risk of transmission. Biosecurity is crucial, with quarantining food and not allowing pork products to enter the farm being very important factors. Both large commercial farms and small backyard farms need to be aware of this disease, as even a small outbreak could close the Canadian borders.
African Swine Fever a Hot Topic in Banff (full article)
