NewsDesk @bactiman63
In a follow-up on the African Swine fever (ASF) situation in the Dominican Republic, Country agriculture officials reported this week the disease that affects pigs was detected in 11 provinces of the country, so it immediately activated the protocol for isolating the virus in those places.
Among the provinces are Sánchez Ramírez, Santiago, Hermanas Mirabal, La Vega, Montecristi, Elías Piña, San Juan and the National District.
Last Sunday, backyard pig farms located in Cevicos, Fantino, Villa la Mata, Quita Sueño and the main municipality of Sánchez Ramírez were intervened to eradicate the disease that affects the pig population.
Until the early hours of Sunday morning, some 14,135 pigs raised in the backyard were identified in these locations.
The Dominican Government is applying all the recommendations that international organizations regulate to contain the advance of the ASF by implementing the regulations that the existing sanitary situation sends us.
Through Banco Agrícola we guarantee payment according to the current market price for the pigs that are slaughtered in the demarcations so that the producers are not economically affected.
Contingency work and vehicle disinfection continue to be carried out throughout the province and in a preventive manner in nearby towns, and are carried out in conjunction with the Emergency Operations Center (COE), the Fire Department, National Police, Armed Forces, among other organisms.
On July 28, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Dominican Republic confirmed the presence of
African swine fever (ASF) after learning the results of tests on 389 samples collected from pigs raised
on farms and in backyards sent to the USDA – Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (Plum
Island) through an existing cooperative surveillance program.
The arrival of ASF in the Dominican Republic means the disease has leapt into the Americas for the
first time in 40 years. Back then, the Dominican Republic dealt with the disease from 1978 to 1980,
with 374 outbreaks reported throughout that period, representing an impact of 192,473 culled pigs.
Anthrax confirmed in North Dakota cow, 1st case of 2021
African swine fever in Leyte and Samar, Philippines
Jakarta: Two Sumatran tigers recovering from COVID-19 at Ragunan Zoo
White-tailed deer populations in 4 state exposed to SARS-CoV-2: USDA study
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious, generalized disease of pigs caused by an Iridovirus of family Asfarviridae that exhibits varying virulence between strains and is very hardy to physical and chemical inactivation. The agent can remain viable for long periods in blood, feces and tissues. It can also multiply in its vectors.
It most commonly appears in the acute form as a hemorrhagic fever. Subacute and chronic forms of the disease also exist. Mortality is usually close to 100 percent and pigs of all ages are affected.
