African swine fever confirmed in Haiti livestock

African swine fever has spread to Haiti, as the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) confirmed an outbreak on Monday in the very-most southern city of Anse-a-Pitre, bordering the Dominican Republic. The OIE report is the first indication the virus may have spread from the Dominican Republic where it was identified in the Western Hemisphere for the first time in decades. According to the OIE, this is the first reported case of African swine fever in Haiti since 1984. The report indicates there were 234 cases of ASF found among a backyard herd of 2,500 animals in Haiti. The OIE report indicates the origin of the infection is either “unknown or inconclusive.” USDA’s Animal Health Inspection Service announced this week it had shut off the flow of pork products from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands while the U.S. government sets up a system to prevent the spread of the virus to the mainland U.S. The OIE said the Haitians are taking several steps in response, including ...