Dr. Yu Kangzhen, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs for the People’s Republic of China, and Dr. Monique Eloit, director general of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), recently met to review developments in China's situation regarding African swine fever (ASF) and to discuss the prevention and control measures applied since the first ASF case was announced in China's Liaoning province in August 2018.

According to an announcement from OIE, China is facing a major crisis for the pig production sector following the occurrence of ASF in its territory. Noting that China is the world’s leading producer of pigs and pork, Eloit emphasized that controlling the spread of the disease to farms and regions that are currently free of ASF is of crucial importance to limit the socioeconomic and commercial repercussions.

During the meeting, Eloit commended the regularity with which China's veterinary services have been providing OIE with information on the identified ASF cases. She also acknowledged the considerable resources China has deployed to detect and respond to outbreaks.

Yu summarized all of the measures Chinese authorities have taken over the past months for to achieve better and stricter control of the disease, such as banning swill feeding practices, reinforcing the control of live animal movements, the registration of vehicles and other numerous measures to improve early disease detection as well as outbreak management, according to the OIE announcement.

Acknowledging the relevance of the new regulations, Eloit encouraged China's Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs to continue its actions in terms of farm surveillance of domesticated pigs and wild boars and the control of movements of animals and animal products.

Yu and Eloit also discussed conditions relating to the operational implementation of concepts recognized by the "OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code" that enable safe management of trade flows, such as compartmentalization.

Last, while acknowledging the urgent need to present a proposal for a global ASF control strategy to OIE member countries at the earliest opportunity, the two parties examined initiatives that will be developed without delay at the regional level.

Yu offered his support for the creation of a regional group of ASF experts under the auspices of the regional Food & Agriculture Organization-OIE Global Framework for the Progressive Control of Transboundary Animal Diseases. Yu suggested that a first inception meeting of such a group could be held in China to define the terms of reference and the work program of the group.

ASF is a severe viral disease affecting domesticated and wild pigs, OIE explained, noting that ASF is responsible for serious production and economic losses. This transboundary animal disease can be spread by live or dead pigs, domesticated or wild, and by pork products; transmission can also occur via contaminated feed and fomites, such as shoes, clothes, vehicles, equipment, etc., due to the high environmental resistance of ASF virus. There is no approved vaccine against ASF. The disease is not transmissible to humans.