The Dominican Republic Slaughters 3,300 Pigs Due To Swine Fever

Dominican Republic's government authorized the slaughtering of 3,300 pigs to tackle the African Swine Fever (ASF) that is affecting the country.

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Animal health authorities have carried out sanitization efforts in the provinces of Sanchez Ramirez and La Vega since August 4 as the virus has been reported in 11 provinces.

On July 28 the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned all imports of pork and pork products from the Caribbean country. The African swine fever was first identified in countries from the continent and outbreaks have been reported ever since in Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, "currently there is no approved vaccine for ASF. Prevention in countries free of the disease depends on the implementation of appropriate import policies and biosecurity measures, ensuring that neither infected live pigs nor pork products are introduced into areas free of ASF."