Is the U.S. preparing for an African Swine Flu outbreak in Puerto Rico, Virgin Territories?

First China. Now the U.S. Territories?

The world’s largest pork consumer has been going through another wave of the African Swine Flu, which has decimated the nation’s pig herd. This has forced Beijing to import greater amounts of pork from the U.S.

But there are concerns that the fatal pig disease could impact Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Reuters reports:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will work with the World Organisation for Animal health (OIE) to designate Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands as separate zones from the mainland to “ensure the continued flow of U.S. pork and live swine exports,” according to a statement.

The OIE allows zones in areas free of disease in response to an increased risk from a neighboring country, the USDA said.

The designations would allow the United States to maintain its status of not having African swine fever if the territories confirm cases, according to the National Pork Producers Council, a U.S. industry group.

African swine fever is harmless to humans but deadly to pigs. To prevent transmission, governments often block pork imports from countries where the disease is found.

Either way, the cost of pork is going to skyrocket in the many months to come due to lackluster output and tight inventories.