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Ag Secretary Highlights ASF Risks

African swine fever has not been detected in the U.S., and USDA wants to keep it that way

Mark Stebnicki | PEXELS
Mark Stebnicki | PEXELS

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a video message on last week to draw attention to African swine fever (ASF) and how to protect U.S. pigs from the deadly disease, reports Feed Strategy.

Vilsack emphasized that ASF does not affect people and is not a food safety issue, but he explained the effects of the disease on pig herds around the world.

The disease has never been detected in the U.S., and the USDA and other agencies are on high alert to prevent its entry.

Vilsack said good biosecurity practices must be followed by anyone who comes in contact with pigs, and people should know how to identify symptoms of the disease and how it spreads.

“Help others understand the ways this disease can be transmitted, the importance of biosecurity and why it’s critical to declare international farm visits and items they bring back to the United States to customs,” he said.

“Here at the USDA, we are prepared to respond if this disease does get into the United States, but we’re hoping that, with your help, we can prevent it from getting here in the first place.”

Read the full report at Feed Strategy.

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