If African swine fever virus reaches the U.S., it could cause more than $16.5 billion in economic losses to swine and other industries. It would devastate trade and international markets, researchers say.
If African swine fever virus reaches the U.S., it could cause more than $16.5 billion in economic losses to swine and other industries. It would devastate trade and international markets, researchers say.
Megan Niederwerder, Kansas State University assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, wants to prevent that.
Her latest research has found that African swine fever could survive in a simulated feed shipment across the ocean, which suggests that feed may be a potential way that pathogens such as African swine fever virus spread.
The research appears in the journal PLOS ONE in the collaborative publication, "Survival of viral pathogens in animal feed ingredients under transboundary shipping models." It is the first publication demonstrating the survival of African swine fever virus in feed ingredients.
Read more at Kansas State University
Image: African swine fever virus causes hemorrhagic fever and high mortality in pigs. It is not present in the US, but has spread throughout Eastern Europe and Russia. A Kansas State University researcher is studying the risk of African swine fever virus in feed and developing ways to prevent the spread of the disease to the US. (Credit: Kansas State University)
