Mind the gap… 🕳

… not between the train and the platform, but between ASF and the population. If African Swine Fever (ASF) were introduced in the US, the pork industry would face major disruptions. So what can be done about it?

• A study recently conducted with two Midwest pork harvest facilities aimed to determine the input and output pathways of ASF virus introduction and spread, and assign priorities. 

⚠️ Overall, six input and 16 output pathways were found.

• Those include people, vehicles, water, equipment/supplies, live and resold pigs, organs for pharmaceuticals, ready-to-eat meat, etc.

In a nutshell, 50% of the pathways are at least partially, if not entirely, unmitigated, and 73% of them have medium to high levels of risk. Gaps in existing procedures that have the potential for ASF virus transmission and spread were revealed, so further assessments should be conducted and additional mitigations should be developed.