The U.S. hog industry is bracing for the potential arrival of African swine flu, a hog disease that’s hit herds in Africa, eastern Europe and China.
Paul Sundberg, director of the Swine Health Information Center, said much is being done to prevent the arrival of the virus in the United States, but that the industry also has to be prepared for the virus’s arrival.
“We’ve got to be prepared for the worst-case scenario,” he said. “We’ve got to hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”
Sundberg said the flu is transmittable from hog-to-hog and doesn’t transfer to people. It’s primarily transmitted via direct contact between hogs, he said, but can be carried between hogs on shoes, in meat or in feeds.
Industry officials are working on communications programs to open dialog between producers, feed processors and veterinarians, he said.
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