(BPT) - Are you traveling abroad this holiday season? As you choose souvenirs and gifts to commemorate your trip, remember to leave the pork behind.

Pork products from outside the U.S. mainland pose a serious threat to the nation's pork population. If you bring pork products back from your travels, you could unknowingly bring back African swine fever (ASF), which could decimate the U.S. pork industry.

To protect our nation's agricultural industry and economy, travelers to or from the U.S. mainland, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are prohibited from bringing pork products with them.

What is African swine fever?

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA's) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), ASF is a highly contagious and deadly virus that's infected pigs in many countries. Although it's harmless to humans, the virus may be present in food made from pork. Travelers can inadvertently spread the disease by bringing pork or pork products with them from a country where ASF exists.

What would happen if ASF enters the U.S.?

ASF hasn't reached the U.S. yet. If the virus does enter the country, an outbreak could devastate U.S. farmers, food supply and the economy.

The U.S. is one of the world's largest pork producers and the second-largest exporter of pork in the world. If ASF were to infect the pork population, it could cost $74 billion over a decade.

ASF won't make meat unsafe to eat. However, if just one pig on one farm contracts the virus, it will disrupt our food supply and have an impact on your wallet. The introduction of ASF to the U.S. could kill millions of pigs that the country relies on for food, leading to pork shortages and increased food prices.

Which countries have ASF?

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH, formerly OIE) reports that the disease has reached multiple countries across Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and the Pacific, affecting both domestic and wild pigs.

As of 2021, ASF has been detected in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. To keep the disease out of the U.S., APHIS established a protection zone in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Since then, there have been increased inspections of passengers and products arriving from ASF-affected countries and advanced risk-based restrictions on imports of pork and pork products from these countries.

How can I help prevent the spread of ASF?

If you're traveling this holiday season, you can be part of the ongoing effort to keep ASF out of the U.S. To prevent the spread of ASF to the U.S. pig population, USDA APHIS recommends taking the following steps:

• Don't bring food containing pork with you when you travel.
• When you enter the U.S., declare all meats, animals and animal products to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
• Tell CBP if you have been on a farm, near livestock or near wild pigs.
• After you return, wait at least five days before you visit any animal facility with pigs. This includes farms, livestock markets, zoos, circuses and pet stores with pot-bellied pigs.

To learn more about ASF and about the USDA's Don't Pack Pork initiative, visit www.aphis.usda.gov/stopasf.