SHIC Engages in Industry’s North American African Swine Fever Forum

When African swine fever was diagnosed in China in August 2018, the North American swine industry immediately began actively monitoring its status and subsequent efforts to control the outbreak. Knowing the consequences of an ASF diagnosis in North America would be catastrophic, collaborative efforts among stakeholders in the US, Canada, and Mexico began immediately. The first North American African Swine Fever Forum took place in Ottawa, Canada, in 2019, and recently returned to Ottawa in September 2024 for the fourth Forum. The Swine Health Information Center was among many US participants with Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder speaking during the Spotlight on Communications session. Government agency representatives, pork industry leaders, international ASF experts, WOAH delegates, international animal health organizations, state and provincial chief veterinary officers, and other stakeholders all took part in the Forum. Their collective focus centered on the protection of