November 2, 2023

USDA adds Nepal to ASF affected list

The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has officially included the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal on its list of regions affected by African swine fever (ASF), National Hog Farmer reported.

This decision was prompted by the confirmed cases of ASF within Nepal. APHIS maintains a list of regions where ASF has been identified or is reasonably suspected to exist, which is accessible on the agency's website.

The veterinary authorities in Nepal reported the presence of ASF in their country to the World Organisation for Animal Health on May 18, 2022. Responding to this report, APHIS took action on May 23, 2022, by officially adding Nepal to its list of ASF-affected regions, signifying the Administrator's reasonable belief that ASF is present in Nepal.

This formal notification serves both as an official record of the decision and as a public announcement to bring awareness to this critical development. The import of pork and pork products from Nepal, including casings, is subject to APHIS import restrictions. These restrictions are designed to mitigate the risk of introducing ASF into the US.

-      National Hog Farmer