Central ND News

In the face of potential disease outbreaks, the swine industry and its partners have developed several strategies to support producers, state health officials, and regulatory agencies. Taw Scaff, a swine specialist with North Dakota State University Extension, highlights key measures to mitigate the spread of swine diseases.

Scaff advises producers to first contact the North Dakota Board of Animal Health to obtain a premises identification number (PIN). This process can be initiated through a form available on their website.

AgView, a tool provided by the National Pork Board, is recommended for tracking disease statuses and tracing pig movements. This free tool aids state health and regulatory officials during foreign animal disease outbreaks and supports business continuity. Producers are encouraged to share AgView data with state animal health officials when necessary.

Becoming a certified swine sample collector (CSSC) is another recommendation from Scaff. This certification ensures proper collection, packaging, and submission of samples for monitoring foreign animal diseases before and during an outbreak. Training for CSSC is conducted by a Category 2 U.S. Department of Agriculture-accredited veterinarian.

Developing a secure pork supply (SPS) plan is also emphasized by Scaff. Such plans are crucial in the event of an outbreak and focus on enhanced biosecurity, traceability, disease monitoring, and personnel training. Each SPS plan should be tailored to specific sites.

Lastly, enrollment in the United States Swine Health Improvement Plan (US SHIP) is advised. Sponsored by the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service with backing from state and industry partners, US SHIP provides standards for managing foreign animal diseases like African swine fever and classical swine fever in the swine industry. These standards are based on existing programs such as AgView, CSSC, and SPS.