Animal diseases don?t mean that life stops. Vietnam and China have been battling the African Swine Fever (ASF) for the past months. The effects have been devastating for pork production in those countries. However, there is still business being conducted industrially, agriculturally, and commercially. Travel is still happening to these locations. Not only are business and vacation traveling happening, but there are also researchers going to these locations to learn about ASF and what we can do to keep this disease out of the Western hemisphere.
So, what happens when all these travelers come back into the United States? What is being done to help protect our animal herds here? The answer is simple, yet very extensive.
Dr. Paul Sundberg is the Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center. He talks about one experience he had at a hotel in Vietnam, which helps highlight the fact that you should be prepared to abandon clothes and shoes that you wore around in some areas.
Not only should you be prepared to part with articles of clothing, but there are many other steps you should consider taking. Dr. Sundberg talks about how to handle luggage and other personal property.
Not only should you clean the property you brought along, but you also must make sure you are clean as well. Also, you should plan to isolate yourself from hogs or anybody who could come in contact with hogs for five days. This is because the disease can survive in our nasal passages for a few days.
It may seem like a lot to have to do, but the consequences for not doing it could be catastrophic.
For more travel tips to locations where a foreign animal disease is known to be present, check out the National Pork Board website.
