The World Organization for Animal Health is calling for strengthened efforts to prevent the spread of African swine fever following the discovery in the Dominican Republic.
The organization says that the outbreak there started a full month ago, but was only confirmed by testing last week. Nearly 850 pigs on two backyard farms were infected and died, and those farms are about 125 miles apart.
Researchers are now trying to find out how ASF arrived in the Dominican Republic and how it traveled between the two farms.
Related:
Multiple federal agencies taking precautions for ASF
National Pork Producers on ASF updates, keeping U.S. herds safe
NPPC reacts to ASF in Dominican Republic