Strengthening North America's Defense Against African Swine Fever

OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 20, 2024 /CNW/ - Statement from Canada's Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, on the North American African Swine Fever (ASF) Forum

"Canada was proud to host the 4th North American African Swine Fever (ASF) Forum, which brought together international and domestic experts, industry leaders, and government representatives. This forum demonstrates our shared commitment to protecting North America's pig herds and the pork sector from the serious threat of ASF.

Over the past 3 days, we worked collectively to demonstrate progress and identify future actions to protect future actions to protect North America from the potential impacts of an ASF detection. Themes included:

• highlighting past successes: we focused on successful preventive measures and preparedness strategies developed over the years, including improvements in biosecurity and border security
• preparedness planning: we worked together to enhance our business continuity and preparedness plans to continue to mitigate the risk of ASF in North America
• strengthening collaboration: the forum was an important opportunity to highlight the ongoing collaboration between Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and other countries
  Sharing lessons, including those from outbreaks in Europe and Asia, along with joint research and innovation, will help strengthen our collective efforts against the threat of ASF.

During the forum, we explored the challenges of managing ASF in wild pig populations and strategies for controlling the spread of ASF. We also discussed advancements in research to better understand the disease, including vaccination efforts. These insights will help us strengthen our preparedness, especially with surveillance, early detection, and response measures.

Canada remains committed to working with our partners on a unified approach to strengthen our border measures and improve our preparedness and response capabilities.

As we look to the future, we must stay vigilant, proactive, and united in our fight against ASF. I am confident that our continued collaboration will help protect our pigs and the pork industry from the impacts of a potential ASF threat.

I wish to extend a thank you to all forum participants for their collaboration, in particular my counterparts Dr. Rosemary Sifford, Chief Veterinary Officer of the United States, and Dr. Juan Gay Gutiérrez, Chief Veterinary Officer of Mexico."

Dr. Mary Jane Ireland
Chief Veterinary Officer for Canada
Canadian Food Inspection Agency

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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) touches the lives of all Canadians in so many positive ways. Every day, hard-working CFIA employees?including inspectors, veterinarians, and scientists ? inspect food for safety risks, work to protect plants from pests and invasive species, and respond to animal diseases that could threaten Canada's animal resource base and human health. Guided by science-based decision-making and modern regulations, the Agency works tirelessly to promote access to and verify safe food in Canada and to support access to international markets for our high-quality agricultural products. To learn more, visit inspection.gc.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)