The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Nutritional Security Veterinary Services Department (VS), in conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA), has begun an enhanced surveillance project focusing on African Swine Fever (ASF) and other infectious swine diseases.
The surveillance activity in Barbados was the first completed in the region, subsequent to the recommendations in the Statement of Intent for Preventing and Controlling African Swine Fever Virus signedby the CARICOM member states in October 2023.
“We are proud to partner with our USDA and IICA colleagues to be among the first of the Caribbean countries to test for ASF under these regional surveillance efforts and make good on the commitment we made in October,” said Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr. Mark Trotman.
The Barbadian VS staff completed ASF surveillance training hosted by the USDA and IICA in Kansas and Puerto Rico over the summer in preparation for this project. Using that knowledge, during the week August 26 -29, VS staff, under the advice of veterinarians and epidemiologists from the USDA, collected 79 swine samples from farms and abattoirs across the island, following a uniquely designed surveillance plan.
These swine samples will be shipped to the U.S. Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory (FADDL) in Plum Island, New York for laboratory analysis.
ASF, a high mortality, high morbidity swine disease, has become endemic in Hispañiola since its detection in July 2021, causing Barbados, the United States and other CARICOM countries to increase their focus on ASF prevention and early detection.
“An effective surveillance programme is crucial if we’re going to get the early warning, we need to prevent an introduction or contain a new outbreak in the Caribbean and the broader Western Hemisphere,” said USDA Program Policy Advisor at the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, International Services, Dr. Eric Coleman.
The VS staff will continue to collect high quality samples from sick or high-risk pigs for analysis at FADDL to ensure the health status of the local swine population. Public and private sector cooperation is crucial to prevent the introduction and spread of ASF.
The USDA and IICA will continue to work with Barbados and other CARICOM nations and partners to determine the technical and financial resources required to maintain ASF surveillance beyond the project timeline.