Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 8/30/19


USDA's Foreign Animal Service division has awarded about $1.7 million in grant money to the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), with active support from the National Pork Producers Council, to begin sharing veterinary knowledge in Asian countries hit by African Swine Fever and ways to prevent the disease from further spreading, NPPC said in a news release.

Tthe multi-phase project is geared to help build strategic partnerships, while increasing trade of U.S. pork to the region. The work will include swine health field projects, including collection and analysis of disease samples, which are valuable data for all participants and U.S. pork producers.

"Pork production is a global business and working with industry representatives from Vietnam on these projects will be mutually beneficial for all," said SHIC Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg."The Swine Health Information Center looks forward to fulfilling the responsibilities of this grant from USDA and in the process deliver value to U.S. producers for the benefit of national herd health."

Under the first phase of the project, the groups will identify and meet with key stakeholders in Vietnam. In phase two, the groups will train the Vietnamese veterinary workforce on ASF prevention and control, helping to build local veterinary capacity.

Concurrently in the final phase, ASF-related field projects will be implemented, including those helping to inform the U.S. pork industry about effective ASF preparedness and response.

Information the projects will gain include:
• Identifying pathways for viral entry on farms
• Validating use of swine oral fluids to confirm farm or region positive or negative status
• Exploring the potential to isolate the virus on one area of a farm to enable other areas to provide pigs free of ASF contamination
• Validating cleaning and disinfecting procedures so farms may be repopulated as soon as it is safe
• Assessing cross-border risks and risk management of transboundary swine diseases 


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