Farm Animals

Pig ASF Preparedness Welfare

African swine fever preparedness planning ensures rapid welfare-focused responses when outbreaks occur near domestic pig farms.

Key Facts

ASF has caused the deaths of over 300 million pigs through culling and disease since 2018
Culling-based eradication requires rapid humane euthanasia of entire herds
Emergency response plans that pre-establish euthanasia capacity reduce suffering during outbreaks
Wild boar reservoirs make ASF eradication in affected regions extremely challenging
No effective commercial vaccine exists for the most virulent ASF strains currently

Welfare Considerations

Pigs dying from ASF suffer hemorrhagic disease with high fever, internal bleeding, and systemic organ failure. Emergency culling, while traumatic, may be more welfare-compatible than disease progression when conducted humanely.

What You Can Do

Support investment in ASF vaccine research that would eliminate culling-based eradication
Advocate for pre-positioned humane euthanasia resources in regions with ASF risk
Choose pork from farms with demonstrated biosecurity investment against ASF introduction