International ASF Outbreak Prevention Strategies for Biosecurity

African swine fever prevention starts with recognizing that risk does not begin or end at the farm gate. In today’s connected production systems, effective ASF prevention depends on layered biosecurity, early detection, supply chain awareness and practical controls that reduce exposure opportunities across feed, transport, people, equipment and pork products. For swine producers and integrators, the most resilient programs treat African swine fever biosecurity as a system-wide discipline built to protect herd health, production continuity and long-term operational stability.

Get the guide today.

What is the starting point for meaningful ASF prevention?

The starting point is accepting that African swine fever (ASF) prevention is not a single action. It is a layered biosecurity strategy. The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) states that biosecurity is the most important and effective measure available to prevent and control ASF. WOAH also stresses vigilance at borders, timely reporting and strong awareness across the value chain. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) similarly emphasizes practical biosecurity, early detection and rapid response as core parts of prevention.

That framing matters because ASF prevention is really about reducing exposure opportunities across multiple pathways. No single control can remove all uncertainty. Stronger programs lower risk by building layers of protection around the herd, the feed supply and the movement of people, vehicles and products.

How do global supply chains influence ASF risk?

An international lens matters because ASF risk does not stop at the farm gate. WOAH notes that the virus can survive on clothes, boots, wheels and other materials educing exposure opportunities across multiple pathways, and in pork products. USDA APHIS and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) both identify contaminated feed, pork products, clothing, equipment and vehicles as potential indirect transmission routes. In practice, that means imported ingredients, transportation networks, cross-border travel and contaminated fomites can all create exposure opportunities for well-managed systems.

This is also why ASF prevention is a business continuity issue, not only a veterinary issue. WOAH describes ASF as a major socio-economic burden and notes that global control efforts aim to support business continuity while protecting safe production and trade. CFIA likewise warns that ASF poses a significant risk to herd health, the pork industry and the wider economy. For swine teams and integrators, prevention protects more than pigs. It protects production continuity, market access and operational resilience.

How can feed-related controls support broader ASF prevention efforts?

Feed should be part of the conversation, but it should be framed carefully. Feed-related controls address one potential exposure pathway within a broader biosecurity framework. That is consistent with official guidance. CFIA states that ASF can spread through contaminated feed or feed ingredients and advises producers and feed manufacturers to know ingredient origin and verify that ingredients were produced and handled using proper biosecurity controls. USDA APHIS also lists contaminated feed as a possible indirect transmission route.

For international programs, feed-related safeguards usually start with sourcing and handling decisions. Canada’s import requirements for certain plant-based feed ingredients of concern use origin-specific controls and, in some cases, require mitigation measures after import or documentation of heat processing before import. Industry guidance from the Swine Health Information Center also describes ingredient holding times as one tool that can be used alongside other mitigations to reduce risk, while noting that sourcing from regions or countries without ASF can remove that specific pathway. These measures do not guarantee prevention. They reduce risk at one point in the supply chain.

What does a practical strategy look like for swine teams?

A practical strategy is coordinated, not isolated. It connects on-farm discipline with supply-chain awareness and response planning. That means reviewing entry protocols for people and vehicles, strengthening cleaning and disinfection, tightening traffic flow, reassessing ingredient sourcing, checking feed mill receiving and storage practices, evaluating transport hygiene and making sure surveillance, reporting and communication protocols are ready when risk changes. WOAH, FAO, APHIS and CFIA all point to the importance of biosecurity, reporting, awareness and preparedness in keeping exposure opportunities away from the herd.

The most useful takeaway is that international ASF outbreak prevention strategies work best when they treat risk management as a system. Feed-related controls can help. Border vigilance can help. Farm protocols can help. None of them should stand alone. The goal is not to promise elimination of risk. It is to reduce exposure opportunities across people, products, transport, feed and farm operations in a way that protects herd health and strengthens operational resilience.

To learn how feed-focused biosecurity measures can support your efforts, contact your clean feed expert. 

Get the guide today.