Five Possible Pathways ASF Could Enter Canada

September 26, 2018 — 

The Manager of Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network says preventing African swine fever (ASF) from entering Canada revolves around biosecurity. The discovery of African swine fever in China in early August is prompting the North American pork sector to reevaluate biosecurity. Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network Manager Dr. Jette Christensen told an ASF Telephone Town Hall last week there are five pathways along which African swine fever could enter Canada. [Source: Farmscape.ca, by Bruce Cochrane, September 24, 2018]

Clip-Dr. Jette Christensen-Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network:

"Of course, with live animals, semen and embryos, that is the highway into Canada. If we import live animals, semen or embryos infected with African swine fever we are almost guaranteed to get it. The other pathway is food. Food scraps, swill feeding is a bad idea. Feed ingredients could either be contaminated directly with African swine fever because the virus is in the ingredients or it could be on bags and other equipment transporting the feed. The fourth is people travelling. The virus is long lived, it's very hardy so if people travel from farms in affected areas to Canada and go directly on a farm they could be bringing African swine fever in. Wildlife is a method that has spread African swine fever in Europe. Wildlife doesn't really wander from Europe to Canada but the way it could come in through wildlife is, if people go hunting in areas with African swine fever, so that would be Africa, eastern Europe, and come back and are contaminated with African swine fever."

Dr. Christensen says prevention is all about biosecurity. She says we know one case of ASF in Canada or the U.S. will quickly spread across the border into the other country.