More than 15,000 pig farmers send to the slaughterhouse about 100,000 pigs per month in the Dominican Republic
Alert in the Americas after the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed African swine fever (ASF) in samples collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic. ASF has forced China to cull millions of pigs since there is no vaccine to prevent the disease which is also highly contagious.
Besides the normal safeguards in place, pork and pork products from the Dominican Republic are currently prohibited from entering the US, and additionally the Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection is increasing inspections of flights from that country to ensure travelers do not bring any of the prohibited products to the US. Additionally it is also ensuring that garbage from airplanes are properly disposed of to prevent any ASF transmission.