African Swine Fever spreads to Haiti

The Chief Veterinary Officer in Haiti on Sept. 20 reported a positive case of African swine fever (ASF) to the World Organisation for Animal Health. The sample was collected from a pig in a province bordering the Dominican Republic and was tested by USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories through a cooperative testing program. Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, to the east of Cuba. ASF was recently found in pigs in the Dominican Republic. It is not a threat to human health, cannot be transmitted from pigs to humans, and is not a food safety issue. However, there is no cure or vaccine for the virus, and all pigs that contract it must be destroyed USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is assisting both Haiti and the Dominican Republic in dealing with ASF and continues to consult with animal health officials in both countries to support response and mitigation measures. ...