African Swine Fever has shown up in 50 countries and is on track to claim a quarter of the global pig population before the end of this year, according to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
“I don’t think the species will be lost, but it’s the biggest threat to the commercial raising of pigs we’ve ever seen,” said OIE president Mark Schipp. “And it’s the biggest threat to any commercial livestock of our generation.
Schipp said there could be food shortages and high pork prices as well as shortfalls in products made from pigs such as heparin, the human blood thinner.
“We are really facing a threat that is global,” OIE director-general Monique Eloit told Reuters news agency.
“The risk exists for all countries, whether they are geographically close or geographically distant because there is a multitude of potential sources of contamination.”
