Veterinarians with knowledge about China say African Swine Fever can be contained without having to sacrifice an entire herd.
The key is identifying the disease early, eliminating those pigs and locking down that portion of the operation so the virus can’t spread.
Dr. Joe Connor of Carthage Vet Service and Dr. Keith Erlandson, who works in China, say this “biological isolation” approach has worked in China.
There must be a physical barrier between the infected and healthy pigs and there must be strict control of all movement between the two areas, such as workers.
The infected pigs need to be disposed of in a manner that prevents spread of the virus.
Connor said this approach works because African Swine Fever virus spreads relatively slowly.
Vigilance will be needed to detect any symptoms as soon as possible, then to verify with a PCR test. That barn should be locked down, but biocontainment can be effective within the barn if there are solid barriers between gestation stalls.
