October 17, 2003

USDA Announced UK's East Anglia Free of Classical Swine Fever

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service today announced that it is restoring East Anglia to the list of regions considered free of classical swine fever (or hog cholera).

USDA recognized that Great Britain's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (now part of the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs) immediately responded to the detection of classical swine fever by initiating measures to eradicate the disease and containing it within East Anglia.

As a result, USDA has reassessed the situation in the region and has determined the disease to be eradicated. Hence it will be removing classical swine fever related prohibitions and restrictions on the importation of swine and swine products into the United States from East Anglia.

Classical swine fever is a highly contagious viral disease of swine and can cause persistent fevers, loss of appetite, discoloration of skin, reproductive failures and death. The disease was eradicated from the United States in 1978 and does not affect humans.

This final rule is scheduled to appear in the October 16 Federal Register and becomes effective upon publication.