USDA Announces ASF/FMD Surveillance Pilot Project

August 20, 2014 — 

The main purpose of this pilot surveillance system is to initiate a 12 month test phase to identify potential issues that may arise before implementation of a fully developed swine Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) surveillance system. The overarching goal of this system is to support substantiation of freedom for swine FADs in the United States swine population, including African swine fever (ASF) and foot and mouth disease (FMD).

This plan follows the structure of the existing CSF surveillance system and allows for economies of sampling by using similar sources of surveillance sampling and information. Once completed, the value of this 12 month pilot surveillance option for swine ASF and FMD will be evaluated in comparison with other possible surveillance strategies including a benefit cost analysis.

Pathogen-specific surveillance for ASF/FMD during this 12 month pilot will be based on the collection of whole blood samples (ASF) and oral swabs (FMD) from domestic swine with higher risk of ASF and/or FMD exposure than the average swine. The samples will be submitted for antigen detection to any of the eight NAHLN laboratories (California Animal Health and Food Safety Lab, ISU-VDL, Purdue, KSU-VDL, UMN-VDL, NC-Rollins Lab, SDSU-VDL, and Texas A&M) that are currently proficiency tested and approved to conduct PCR in whole blood and in oral swabs for detection of ASF and FMD viruses, respectively.

Sources of samples will include the veterinary diagnostic laboratories, on-farm and slaughter establishment collection streams. Details on the collection streams and testing goals for each lab are found in the Pilot Surveillance Plan.

If results of the assay at a NAHLN laboratory are determined to be inconclusive or positive, confirmatory testing must be performed at the Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab at Plum Island.

[Editor’s note: The AASV supports USDA’s efforts to validate and implement an active surveillance program for ASF and FMD that will complement the existing program for CSF which is based on tonsil submissions. You do include tonsil with every laboratory sample submission don’t you?]