Two years ago, African Swine Fever wasn’t high on the radar for the livestock industry. Now, the World Organization for Animal Health says 25 percent of the world’s pigs are expected to die from African swine fever. University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine Professor John Deen is researching ways to manage the disease. Following a recent trip to China, Deen said China’s larger producers are changing the way they raise pigs. “We were surprised by the optimism of the industry. ASF doesn’t move that quickly and they’ve developed diagnostic methods and skills for depopulating parts of their herd.” Large hog producers make up about 20 percent of China’s pork industry. In the U.S., efforts continue to keep the virus out. “We do need to identify the costs of a disease like ASF to truly put investments into its prevention.” Dean will return to China this winter to learn more about ASF.
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