Jamaica’s agriculture authorities have announced that Jamaica has been placed on high alert for the African swine fever after the United States Department of Agriculture revealed on Wednesday that it had confirmed the disease’s presence in collected from pigs in the Dominican Republic.

READ: African swine fever confirmed in Dominican Republic pigs -USDA

According to the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, collaboration will immediately be heightened with the Jamaica Customs Agency, the Jamaica Defence Force Coast Guard, the Passport Immigration and Citizenship Agency, as well as pig farmers and Jamaicans on a whole, to reduce the threat of the disease entering the island.

The African swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of domestic pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and feral swine (Sus scrofa ferus), causing high mortality approaching 100 per cent, and ultimately economic devastation.

It is not however know to physically affect humans.

“Introduction of the virus into the country may occur by way of importation of infected pork products and contamination of fomites such as feed, equipment, vehicles, and clothing. It can remain viable in animal feed ingredients under extreme conditions, including those encountered during trans-Atlantic shipping,”the ministry said in a statement.

“The movement of contaminated pork products and swill-feeding of domestic swine are important epidemiological factors in the spread of the fever.”  

NO TREATMENT FOR AFRICAN SWINE FEVER

Food waste from airplanes and ships have often been implicated in outbreaks of African swine fever, Classical swine fever and other exotic diseases and pathogens, the ministry said.

There is no treatment for African swine fever and there is no known vaccine available for its prevention and control.

Control measures consist of strict animal quarantine and culling procedures.

Infection with African swine fever produces a variety of clinical signs ranging from chronic to sub-clinical disease.