IICA joins US Department of Agriculture to help region combat African Swine Fever

During an intensive program of work, IICA and USDA experts worked closely with the Official Veterinary Service of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Security of Barbados, and developed strategies and field activities aimed at preventing this viral disease in the country and the Caribbean region, Photo: IICA

A technical initiative in Barbados, organized by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in collaboration with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), has initiated field trials aimed at enhancing local capabilities for monitoring and controlling African Swine Fever (ASF) as part of the USDA-IICA ASF Capacity Building Project for Central America and the Caribbean. Throughout a comprehensive program, specialists from IICA and USDA collaborated closely with the Official Veterinary Service of Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Nutritional Security to devise strategies and activities focused on preventing the spread of this viral disease within Barbados and the wider Caribbean region.

The activities conducted on the island included technical discussions and site visits to pig farms, where samples were gathered for the early identification of the virus. This effort marks the first proactive approach in Caribbean farms for the early detection of this highly infectious disease, laying the groundwork for future monitoring initiatives in other countries involved in the project. The experts from IICA and USDA, in conjunction with the Barbadian veterinary team, established a national passive surveillance framework that encompasses a systematic schedule for sample collection and monitoring of farms and slaughterhouses to avert potential outbreaks. A significant outcome of this mission was the establishment of a technical team in Barbados, ready to commence early surveillance activities.

The project is advancing, with Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana identified as the next Caribbean nations for sampling, chosen due to their geographical closeness to Hispaniola, where ASF is currently present. The IICA and USDA initiative will also take part in Agriculture Week in St. Vincent, featuring a workshop focused on ASF compensation and sanitary insurance, along with a presentation of the previous year’s results to CARICOM ministers and veterinary service leaders.

Looking ahead, IICA and USDA plan to extend the project to the Andean region in 2025, including countries from that area as beneficiaries. By the conclusion of 2024, it is anticipated that sampling will be finalized in three Caribbean nations, with surveillance strategies established and the project launched across three beneficiary regions: Central America, the Andean region, and the Caribbean.

In terms of institutional support, Allister Glean, IICA’s representative in Barbados, highlighted the significance of this collaborative effort to effectively combat ASF and expressed a commitment to enhancing partnerships through technical training. “We are committed to working hand-in-hand with the Official Veterinary Service of Barbados and local producers to strengthen prevention and surveillance measures, ensuring a coordinated and effective response to any eventuality,” Glean stated.

Eric Coleman, Director of Emergency Programs at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), underscored the agency’s commitment of resources to enhance emergency readiness in Central America and the Caribbean concerning ASF.

This project leverages these resources to assist international partners and stakeholders in strengthening surveillance capabilities and preparedness plans to control swine hemorrhagic diseases, particularly ASF, which are spreading in the region and threatening pork producers and processors in the United States and across the Americas,” Coleman remarked.

The USDA team from Puerto Rico, led by Fred Soltero, played a vital role in training and supporting the officials of Barbados’ Official Veterinary Service, emphasizing the critical nature of disease containment to prevent its spread to other Caribbean islands. “The transmission of ASF to other nations would significantly endanger the regional economy, making containment crucial for safeguarding both producers and the food security of the region,” Soltero, a USDA veterinarian overseeing the Puerto Rico office, emphasized.

Mark Trotman, Head of the Official Veterinary Service of Barbados’ Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Nutritional Security, announced that the local team is now better equipped to initiate the surveillance phase and is prepared to implement the knowledge and skills acquired.

“The IICA-USDA technical mission in Barbados was the first effort in the new stage of the project, aimed at  implementing a self-sustainable ASF surveillance system in the Caribbean, aligned with the One Health approach and international best practices in agricultural health,” Ericka Calderón, IICA’s Agricultural Health Specialist and lead of the USDA-IICA ASF Capacity Building Project for Central America and the Caribbean.

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1 Comment

  1. Long-term Results
    October 13, 2024

    First off, there’s no such thing as ‘African swine flu’. Do not accept these European naming conventions. People there hardly eat swine except some Christians. To switch and take your place they hit us with derogatory words the past 400years in their media, monkey pox(meaning you) until they had to eat their vomit after you protest, they did. Those pus, syphilis, flu and “gun” have always been the European weapons of choice. They switch and take your place using you and your people as priests, pastors and so-called ‘educated’ people to make it stick. You shouldn’t have bought it.

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