The United States feed industry is preparing for African Swine Fever if it gets into the country. McFleeg Feeds of Watertown, South Dakota developed a company-wide preparedness plan in response to the past PEDV and avian influenza outbreaks. Co-owner Bob Drake says that increases the likelihood their employees won’t spread ASF or other livestock diseases.

He says they are also limiting the feed ingredients they use from China, since there is speculation ASF moves in feed just PEDV does.

Rich Feine is part of the McFleeg Feeds Sales and Consulting team. He says even since the bird flu outbreak livestock operations they work with have added additional biosecurity measures.

And as a result of biosecurity and heightened surveillance, he believes the U.S. is in a better position than China to contain the spread of the disease if it does enter the country.

African Swine Fever in China has led to the loss of an estimate 150 to 200 million hogs in the country and the disease has still not been contained.