According to a USDA November 1st posting, African swine fever (ASF) was diagnosed on 136 farms in the Dominican Republic through October 31st. This has resulted in depletion of close to 10,000 hogs, mainly in small subsistence operations.
In neighboring Haiti, five outbreaks have been confirmed by the USDA with differentiation of ASF from classical swine fever based on PCR performed at the Plum Island USDA-APHIS laboratory. Given restraints in resources and personnel and the high concentration of backyard hog units, persistence of ASF in Haiti is anticipated representing a danger to Puerto Rico.