NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — As animal disease threats continue to evolve around the world, agriculture groups say early detection and strong biosecurity measures remain critical to protecting U.S. livestock.
The National Pork Board says the ongoing risk of foreign animal diseases is a reminder that producers and officials must remain prepared. While African swine fever continues to be a major concern for the pork industry, experts are also monitoring the global spread of other diseases, including foot-and-mouth disease.
Patrick Webb with the National Pork Board says a strain of foot-and-mouth disease known as SAT-1 has been spreading through parts of Africa and other regions, highlighting the importance of understanding how diseases move across borders.
“Knowing and understanding risk pathways is important, and then mitigating that,” Webb said. “Working with USDA and Customs and Border Protection to make sure we’re protecting the border and making sure we’re not bringing things in that we don’t want here.”
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations issued an alert last year regarding foot-and-mouth disease activity in parts of Europe and the Middle East, calling for increased surveillance and stronger biosecurity measures.
The highly contagious disease has been detected in countries including Iraq, Kuwait, Hungary, and Slovakia.
