U.S. Swine Industry On-Edge with Disease Outbreaks Over Seas
Barrett Simon, Livestock
Agent
African Swine Fever is currently
wreaking havoc on the foundation of China’s commercial swine production. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
has reported nearly a five percent reduction of the Chinese sow herd, and a
whole percent of that has taken place between August and September.
Animal disease outbreak is a major
factor in the reduction of China’s hog populations, and African Swine Fever is
just one variable in that equation. If
we follow simple laws of supply and demand, a competitor’s misfortune should be
our good fortune, right? While there is
truth to that statement, large scale players in the U.S. swine industry are
more focused on the vastly detrimental effects a disease outbreak in our own
country could have. Some go as far as to
say it would completely cripple our current export markets.
What is African Swine Fever? The disease is accompanied and produced by
hemorrhages. Though they are clinically
unrelated, symptoms of African Swine Fever show great resemblance to those of
Classical Swine Fever (hog cholera).
Clinical signs include: lethargy and increased body temperatures,
yellowish stool, and discoloration to the ears, lower body, and abdomen. Acute forms of the disease have a short
incubation period followed by the previously listed signs and will most often
prove fatal within five to ten days.
Throw in the fact that aborted pregnancies are usually the first sign of
the disease and you can see where this becomes extremely detrimental from a
financial standpoint.
For now, African Swine Fever has still
not entered the United States, with the closest known case being in Haiti and
dating back to the 1980’s. However,
along with other large scale, dangerous diseases such as Foot-and-Mouth, it has
the pork industry on alert. Industry
experts are studying countries in Europe that have been successful in
preventing an outbreak or an entry into their own food supply, even though the
disease has run rampant all around them.
Dr. Liz Wagstrom, NPPC chief veterinarian, states that Poland, Denmark,
and Germany are major exporting countries and that any outbreak within their
production system would put global trade at a standstill.
For more information on swine
production systems, diseases, and management tactics reach out to your local
extension office or come visit with me in Mankato at any time. In regards to animal disease traceability,
mark your calendars for November 5th
where we are hosting an informative meeting on the current CattleTrace pilot
program going on across the state of Kansas. K-State Research and Extension is partnering
with the Beef Cattle Institute, Kansas Department of Agriculture, and the
Kansas Livestock Association to kick off a producer driven disease traceability
program and serving as the template program for the entire nation. If you have seen CattleTrace advertised and
are curious about what it means to your operation, join us in Mankato for a
free meal and great conversation about the program. There is no cost to attend, but RSVP’s are
due by Friday, November 2nd.
Sources:
- Jibben, Betsy “U.S. Pork Industry on High Alert with African Swine Fever Overseas” www.agweb.com
- Oura, Chris, MSc, PhD, MRCVS, “Overview of African Swine Fever” https://www.merckvetmanual.com/generalized-conditions/african-swine-fever/overview-of-african-swine-fever
- Schulz, Kevin “U.S. Studies EU’s Tactics for African Swine Fever Defense” National Hog Farmer June, 4th, 2018
Post Rock Extension District of
K-State Research and Extension serves Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, and
Smith counties. Barrett may be contacted at Barrett8@ksu.edu or by calling
Smith Center, 282-6823, Beloit 738-3597, Lincoln 524-4432, Mankato 378-3174, or
Osborne 346-2521. Join us on Facebook at “Post Rock Extension” along with our
blog site at postrockextension.blogspot.com. Follow us on Twitter
@KSRE_PostRock. Also remember our website is postrock.ksu.edu
