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African Swine Fever top of mind for producers at Midwest Pork Conference

African Swine Fever and biosecurity were top of mind for producers at the 2019 Midwest Pork Conference.

Scott Dee, a Minnesota-based veterinarian and director of research for Pipestone Veterinary Services, discussed how African Swine Fever can be transmitted through contaminated feed.

“The virus lives very well in things like soy-based products, pet foods, certain vitamins and amino acids,” he says. “So it’s extremely stable, lives very well in feed, and the feed risk is one we need to put high on our list,” he says.

Dee says he does not believe the rhetoric that it’s not a matter of if but when.

“I think we can keep it out,” he says. “I think if we do the things right at the feed level and get a program that’s industry-lead, which is happening now and get some help from the government along the way, I think we can keep it out.”

Advice he has for producers is to keep up good biosecurity practices on the farm.

Audio: Scott Dee, Pipestone Veterinary Services