At the 2026 Oklahoma Pork Congress, Oklahoma Farm Report intern Haden Snelson spoke with Dr. Justin Talley head of Oklahoma State University’s Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, about foreign animal diseases threatening the pork industry and research aimed at keeping producers prepared.
One of the primary concerns is African swine fever, a highly damaging viral disease capable of causing significant losses in swine herds.
“It’s a very devastating virus that can get into swine herds and cause significant mortality,” Talley said. “From the animal health side, once it’s introduced, it can just be devastating to a commercial swine herd.”
Talley said transmission can involve soft ticks as well as other possible vectors, including biting flies. However, controlling insects around infected animals becomes especially important if a herd must be depopulated to stop the spread of the virus.
“With an animal with an active infection, you can still have a lot of flies coming to visit these animals, and we want to try to mitigate that,” Talley said.
African swine fever is not currently present in the United States, Talley said, but the disease has affected other parts of the world, including areas of Africa and Eastern Europe.
“It’s not here in the U.S.,” Talley said. “But it’s knocking on our door.”
African swine fever is not the only animal health concern producers should keep in mind. Talley said respiratory and influenza viruses can also cause serious impacts, while diseases such as brucellosis remain concerns for swine herds.
Talley also discussed the potential impact of New World screwworm on the pork industry. He said the pest presents less of a threat to commercial swine operations because animals are closely monitored and generally housed within controlled production systems.
The greater concern, he said, is for outdoor swine operations, particularly breeders producing animals for the show pig industry.
“There’s a high risk with that because, one, they’re outside, which creates access for the fly,” Talley said. He added that injuries associated with outdoor pens can create wounds that make animals more susceptible to infestation.
With support from the Oklahoma Pork Council, Talley and other researchers have also been studying ways producers can prepare for a potential foreign animal disease outbreak.
“Some of the research we’ve done with the support of Oklahoma Pork Council is about preparedness and prevention,” Talley said.
One project examined how animal mortalities could be managed if African swine fever reached the United States and required the depopulation of an infected herd. Researchers evaluated a modified burial method using carbon materials such as wood shavings.
Talley said covering animals with the material in a timely manner can reduce the risk of flies accessing the carcasses while also helping degrade the virus.
“Getting a cover over those animals in a timely manner reduces the risk of transmitting that virus,” Talley said.
The research is part of an effort to give pork producers practical strategies for responding quickly if a foreign animal disease threatens U.S. herds.
