Page 13 - Australian Pork Newspaper

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tence, gastrointestinal and
chitis.
The acute form may pre-
Samples should be taken from affected, especially pyrexic, pigs killed im- mediately before a post- mortem examination, and from pigs that have re- cently died including still- born piglets and aborted foetuses.
• Serum – at least 30 samples from suspected chronically infected ani- mals
frozen gel packs.
Do not freeze samples
ease Strategy for African swine fever provides com- prehensive control, eradi- cation and post-outbreak surveillance guidelines. Keeping Australia ASF free
neighbours, including Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.
The risk of introduction
narians can help
neurological abnormali- ties, abortion or foetal de- formities, conjunctivitis, nasal discharge, and skin haemorrhages and cya- nosis – particularly on ex- tremities such as the ears and snout.
sent with more profound haemorrhaging across all organs, fluid in the body cavities and lungs, and py- ramidal infarcts along the margin of the spleen.
at -20C as it reduces the sensitivity when used for virus isolation and mo- lecular diagnostic tests. Protecting Australia from ASF
Australia maintains an ASF-free status and greatly reduces the risk of incursion through the enforcement of strict bios- ecurity policies.
Illegal importation of ASFV-infected pig prod- ucts or genetic material remains the most likely source for entry of ASF into Australia.
1.Ensure that you and your pig-owning clients are aware of and comply with swill feeding legisla- tion – visit farmbiosecu- rity.com.au
Case fatality rates can reach 100 percent fol- lowing acute highly viru- lent disease.
Gross pathology of chronic ASF varies and is generally indicative of a more prolonged illness.
Collect:
In the event of an ASF outbreak, Australia’s policy is to control and eradicate the disease in the shortest possible time using a combination of strategies, including stamping out and move- ment controls.
Although swill feeding is prohibited, unlawful or inadvertent feeding of im- ported infected products to domestic or feral pigs presents the greatest risk, and is believed to be the cause of the first ASF out- break outside of Africa.
2. Know the clinical signs of African swine fever and other emergency animal diseases.
However, animals with chronic ASF may present with milder clinical signs, including general ill- thrift, fluctuating pyrexia, pneumonia, alopecia and dermatitis.
Lesions may include fi- brinous pericarditis, pleu- risy, button ulcers of the large intestine at the ileo- caecal valve, lobular lung consolidation, and thymic atrophy.
• EDTA blood, 7-10ml/ animal, from live, clini- cally affected animals
Australia’s focus is on ensuring that the level of risk in products that arrive at its borders are already managed to levels that are acceptable.
3.Remember that early detection and laboratory confirmation is critical for a rapid and effective response.
In the subclinical form of the disease, animals may become chronic carriers without overt clinical signs. Pathology
As clinical signs and post-mortem lesions are not unique to ASF, suspi- cion of the disease must be confirmed by labora- tory diagnosis.
• bone marrow may also be useful from dead wild animals that have been dead for some time, as it is likely to be relatively well preserved
In addition, swill feeding is illegal under legislation in Australia.
If you suspect an exotic disease, please contact the Emergency Animal Dis- ease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 for advice and assistance.
The most common post- mortem findings in ASF- positive pigs are signs of haemorrhage, such as petechiae on the kidneys, bladder and lymph nodes, splenic enlargement, gas- tric ulceration, and pneu- monia, pleuritis or bron-
Several pigs – at least five if possible – should be submitted for post- mortem examination, as there may be great varia- bility in lesions presented in individual animals.
• fixed tissue – a full range of tissues including the brain in neutral-buff- ered formalin.
Actions taken by Aus- tralia in response to an ASF incursion would vary depending on host and agent factors and the ex- tent, location and stage of the outbreak.
At the federal level, the Department of Agricul- ture, Water and the Envi- ronment applies rigorous inspection protocols at Australia’s national bor- ders and conducts off- shore disease surveillance and risk mitigation activi- ties in Australia’s close
Provided Australia’s modern intensive pig- geries continue to practice a high level of biosecu- rity, the most likely sites of entry for ASF would be smaller commercial or backyard establishments or scavenging feral pigs. How Australian veteri-
For more information, visit farmbiosecurity.com. au and agriculture.com. au
Skin lesions. Photo: PJ Wilkinson Petechial haemorrhages in the renal cortex and peripelvic Haemorrhagic gastrohepatic lymph node. Photo: CA Mebus haemorrhage. Photo: CA Mebus
Biosecurity and what it means to Australia
Diagnosis
• fresh tissue from the spleen, lymph nodes – gastro-hepatic, mesenteric and sub-mandibular – tonsils, lung, kidney and ileum – 2g of each tissue
The Government and Livestock Industry Cost Sharing Deed in Respect of Emergency Animal Disease Responses out- lines the government and industry cost-sharing ar- rangements to fund such a response.
Stringent, scientifically informed import regula- tions exist for pork and pork products.
Contaminated products may arrive from endemic countries via commercial aircrafts or ships, the in- ternational postal service, and waste from fishing vessels.
4.Report unusual cases of disease where emer- gency animal diseases are suspected, to state or territory government veterinarians directly or through the Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline.
A composite picture of all lesions seen should be recorded.
Chill blood samples and unpreserved tissue sam- ples either at 4C, or with
The Australian Vet- erinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) Dis-
Page 13 – Australian Pork Newspaper, July 2020
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