Vilsack delivers message about African Swine Fever

In a video message posted to YouTube, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed the seriousness that African Swine Fever poses to the American pork industry. 

He began by stating that this disease does not affect humans and cannot be transferred from pigs to people. But he did detail the impact that ASF has on the livelihoods and economic health of pigs and the pork industry.

“Outbreaks have ravaged parts of Europe and Asia, especially China, over the last three years. And the disease was recently detected in captive hogs in Germany and confirmed less than 1,000 miles away from our shores in the Dominican Republic,” he said.

Vilsack noted that the disease has never been found inside the U.S., but he notes the looming threat it creates. Departments within the USDA have long worked to prevent the spread of the disease and to have isolation and other protocols in place should an outbreak occur.