Press Release: Commission welcomes US move to recognise EU system to control animal diseases

On 20 October 2015, the European Commission welcomed the recent move by the United States to recognise the European regionalisation system put in place to contain the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF), a disease affecting pigs and wild boar.

African swine fever (ASF) is a devastating infectious disease of pigs, usually deadly. No vaccine exists to combat this virus. It does not affect humans nor does it affect other animal species other than pigs and wild boars. It can be transmitted either via direct animal contact or via dissemination of contaminated food (e.g. sausages or uncooked meat)