Germany confirmed the first cases of African swine fever in farm pigs—a startling development since the disease was previously found only in the wild. The worst part? We have the tools to end the disease, but it’s tough to deploy them.
African swine fever has been confirmed in farm pigs in Germany, with cases reported in at least three sites near the border with Poland. The largest farm has 200 pigs, which are all being culled, reports Pig Progress.
“The finding of ASF in the domestic pig herd is another blow for the pig industry, which so far had managed to keep the virus outside the domestic pig herd,” continues Pig Progress. Previous cases, as we’ve reported, have been found in wild boar in Germany.
African swine fever doesn’t affect human health, but it’s fatal for pigs—and the agriculture industry. An Iowa State University study estimated that an outbreak in the United States could cost $50 billion.
With biotech, this could potentially be avoidable. Genetic innovation could prevent and respond to infectious disease, by making pigs resistant to African swine fever, as just one example.
But animal biotech regulation needs modernization. Animals modified or developed through genetic engineering are regulated as “new animal drugs,” overseen by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—an approach BIO’s long expressed concerns with.
What should we do? BIO has called for two things: establishment of a national One Health framework to eliminate the barriers between human, animal, and environmental health strategies, and legislation directing the FDA and USDA to work together to streamline oversight of animal biotech innovation.
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STAT News: In world’s first genetically engineered marsupials, scientists get a fresh window into human biology
“The advance promises to unlock new insights into human biology and disease, aiding in the study of everything from the developing immune system to tissue regeneration to skin cancer.”
