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Vet says ASF signs are subtle; be alert

A veterinarian says U.S. hog producers need to understand how African Swine Fever shows up and what to look for. Dr. Clayton Johnson with Carthage Veterinary Services in Carthage, Illinois has worked with hog operations in China in the midst of the ASF outbreak there. He tells Brownfield Ag News, “The pigs are not going to raise their hoof and say ‘I have ASF.’ There are going to be subtle signs at first. There’s going to be things like a general decrease in feed intake. There’s going to be some things like maybe just some reddening skin or maybe some light respiratory disease in those early days. The reality is, the pigs can be infectious and shedding at that point.”

Before it gets to the classic blue skin lesions of ASF, Johnson says there will be subtle clinical signs that should not be ignored, “I’m trying to relay that to people and create a sense of urgency of communicating with THEIR veterinarian when they see ANY clinical signs that look abnormal to them or any increased spike in mortality that they didn’t expect so we can jump on this fast. I think that’s one of the biggest things that I can bring.”

Johnson shared his insights with producers at the recent 2020 Missouri Pork Expo.