July 16, 2024

Kansas State University, US, hosts ASF workshop for Caribbean officials

The Centre on Biologics Development and Evaluation at Kansas State University, US, recently hosted an African swine fever (ASF) workshop for officials from 20 Caribbean countries, National Hog Farmer reported.

"We welcomed more than 60 participants from 28 countries who attended the ASF workshop, including 40 veterinarians, chief veterinary officers, and technical officers from 20 Caribbean countries," said Jishu Shi, director of the centre and professor of vaccine immunology in the College of Veterinary Medicine. The primary goal of this workshop is to establish a sustainable platform that effectively enhances ASF surveillance capacity across the Americas.

The workshop, held from June 24 to 28, featured a range of activities including updates on ASF virus research, hands-on training for diagnostic tests, and instructions on using the "Lateral Flow ASF Dx" kit. Additionally, a seminar on science-based rapid response options for the prevention and control of ASF was conducted. Participants toured the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Biosecurity Research Institute, and K-State Olathe.

Several researchers from the College of Veterinary Medicine presented at the workshop, including Jishu Shi, Laura Miller, Stephen Higgs, Roman Pogranichniy, Lihua Wang, Rachel Madera, and Lance Noll.

Guest presenters included Linda Dixon from the Pirbright Institute in the UK, Eun-Ju Sohn from BioApp in South Korea, Llilianne Ganges from the Animal Health Research Center at the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology in Spain, Quang Lam Truong from the Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Homer Pantua from BioAssets Corporation in the Philippines, Dang Vu Hoang from the National Institute of Veterinary Research in Vietnam, and To Long Thanh from the Vietnam National University of Agriculture.

The workshop was co-organised by Beth Montelone, senior associate vice president for research at Kansas State University; Zackery Tipton, programme manager with the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service; Eric Coleman, programme policy adviser with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service; and Ericka Calderon, specialist with the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

"We are deeply grateful for the partnership and support from USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, K-State Olathe, Biosecurity Research Institute, and KSVDL," Shi stated.

-      National Hog Farmer