Secure Pork Supply Plan - Step #7

Step #7: Foreign Animal Disease Training and Response

It is important that all owners and employees are capable of recognizing clinical signs and lesions associated with the Foreign Animal Diseases (FADs) of swine and understand the appropriate response if a FAD is suspected.

Complete the four principles of FAD monitoring:

1.  Observe! (Active Observational Surveillance)

Recognize signs and lesions associated with the FADs of swine. Information can be found at www.securepork.org. Click on Pork Producers/Disease Monitoring tabs. Review the information on these swine FADs:

     a. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)

     b. Classical Swine Fever (CSF) or Hog Cholera

     c. African Swine Fever (ASF)

Pocket guides and posters can be ordered from the National Pork Board Pork Store www.porkstore.pork.org.

Additional materials for identifying Foreign Animal Diseases are available from Dr. Wright at wright2me.dave@gmail.com.

2. Record!

Document your intervention strategies by writing down your criteria for calling your veterinarian. Maintain a daily observation log. 

3.  Report!

Report any suspicion of a FAD to your veterinarian immediately: pigs with vesicles or blisters, unexplained septicemia, or unexplained death loss.

In the event your veterinarian or state animal health official cannot be reached, the Minnesota Duty Officer is available 24/7 at 651-649-5451.

Complete the Emergency Action Plan, a document listing all emergency contact information. It can be downloaded from the SPS website www.securepork.org.

4.  Sample!

Sample collection to confirm a possible FAD will be done by a specially trained veterinarian; however, farm personnel may be called upon to collect samples for surveillance on sites within a control zone. Work with your herd veterinarian to learn how to collect samples in the event they might be used to test for disease during an outbreak.

Instructions for proper sampling techniques can be found by clicking on Training Materials/Disease Monitoring at www.securepork.org. 

A particularly good video called “Oral Fluid Sampling Guidelines” offers guidance on proper surveillance sampling.

Document contingency plans in the event animal movement must be interrupted. Consider the potential need for housing, feed, manure management, humane euthanasia, and carcass disposal. These items are addressed in the Enhanced Biosecurity Plan template.