Senator Casey Murdock is keeping an eye on a disease that affects hogs and could lead to devastating losses in the pork industry if it makes it way to the U.S. He’s concerned about outbreaks of African Swine Fever (ASF) in the Dominican Republic and Haiti and would like to see any biosecurity measures the state can put into place.
“Governor Stitt and Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur have my complete support for any and all measures needed to secure our borders and protect our state from foreign animal diseases,” Murdock said. “The fiscal and emotional impact a virus like ASF could have would be devastating for our pork producers.”
Oklahoma has nearly two-thousand pork producers. ASF, while not harmful to humans, has no treatment for pigs or wild hogs. The only way to currently stop the disease from spreading is to kill the affected swine herd.
“As African Swine Fever continues to head toward the United States, I encourage pork producers and Americans traveling to take biosecurity measures seriously,” Murdock said. “I cannot overstate the impact this would have on pork producers both in Oklahoma and throughout the U.S. and on the nation’s food supply chain. Should Governor Stitt order Oklahoma National Guard troops to the southern border to prevent potential spread of this virus, I would absolutely support that decision.”
