By NewsDesk @infectiousdiseasenews
African swine fever (ASF) has been confirmed in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory reports.
The samples were collected through an existing cooperative surveillance program.
What is the concern for the United States?
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has numerous interlocking safeguards in place to prevent ASF from entering the United States.
Pork and pork products from the Dominican Republic are currently prohibited entry as a result of existing classical swine fever restrictions.
Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is increasing inspections of flights from the Dominican Republic to ensure travelers do not bring prohibited products to the United States. CBP will also be ensuring that garbage from these airplanes are properly disposed of to prevent the transmission of ASF.
USDA says they are committed to assisting the Dominican Republic in dealing with ASF, by offering continued testing support, and will consult with them on additional steps or actions to support response and mitigation measures. They will also offer similar help to Haiti, which borders the Dominican Republic and is at high risk for ASF detections.
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