U.S. officials release new ASF educational resource
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has released a new document to keep officials updated on the latest findings on African swine fever.
DHS’ Science and Technology Directorate released the ASF Master Question List to provide an “authoritative summary of publicly available information about the virus to promote coordinated research and improved emergency response preparedness,” the agency said.
The agency’s research could be vital since ASF has recently reemerged in China and is still affecting farms in other parts of the world, said Dr. Lloyd Hough, head of the directorate’s Hazard Awareness & Characterization Technology Center. The virus hasn’t been detected in the United States, but industry members worry it could enter the country through contaminated food imports.
“Just because a disease isn’t currently present in the United States doesn’t mean it isn’t a potential threat or that we shouldn’t be prepared,” Hough said. “The rapid spread of COVID-19 demonstrated how quickly a small outbreak occurring overseas can explode into a massive epidemic disrupting our daily lives.”
The Master Question List could be used by agencies like Customs and Border Protection to efficiently flag and remove unauthorized pork and pork products at the country’s borders and other points of entry.
The question list covers topics such as:
- How much virus will make a healthy pig ill?
- How easily does ASF spread from one animal to another?
- What are the most effective biosurveillance measures for ASF and methods of confirming infection?
- What are effective methods to kill the virus?
- How does the current strain compare to previous strains?
