APHIS Adds EU ASF Positive Regions

December 16, 2015 — 

On August 31, 2015, the Animal Health and Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that the European Union (EU) and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU would be added to the APHIS list of regions affected with African Swine Fever (ASF). This action is the result of findings of ASF in the EU Member States of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Following the detection of ASF, APHIS recognizes any region that the EU or any EU Member State has placed under restriction as affected by ASF. [Source: USDA APHIS bulletins, December 11, 2015]

The EU reported outbreaks of ASF in both domestic and feral swine populations in the Member States mentioned above. APHIS prohibits the importation of hunter harvested swine meat and carcasses from the EU-effective immediately. However, any hunter-harvested swine products that are consigned to APHIS-approved establishments as trophies, or imported as fully-finished trophies, may be allowed entry into the United States.