African Swine Fever
The introduction of African Swine Fever (ASF) to commercial farms in China in August 2018 and to the wild boar population in southern Belgium in September 2018, has brought a whole new dimension to the potential impacts of this disease on the global pork industry.
Following the introduction of ASF in China, the disease has continued to spread to other Southeast Asian countries since the beginning of 2019.
In addition, ASF has spread to new territories in countries that have previously reported the presence of this disease. In Europe, in Central and Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Serbia, Lithuania and Russia. Cases were also reported in Italy and Sweden in 2023.
In 2021, the first case was reported in the Americas, in the Dominican Republic and then in Haiti. According to laboratory tests, the virus originated in Russia.
African Swine Fever has serious health and economic consequences for the affected countries. To date, ASF has never been diagnosed in North America.
More information:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency on African Swine Fever
World Organisation for Animal Health on African Swine Fever
Video on preventing and mitigating the risk of African Swine Fever in feedmills