March 11, 2014
North Dakota requires swine certification over PEDv
The porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDv), which has been found in North Dakota, parts of Canada and in 23 states, poses such a high risk to pigs that everyone involved with the pork industry needs to take precautions as estimates of more than four million pigs died due to PEDv.
"It causes acute diarrhoea and dehydration in pigs," said Roman M. Pogranichniy, Diagnostic Virologist at Purdue University.
According to North Dakota State University (NDSU) Extension, older pigs have a great chance of survival when infected with PEDv, but new born piglets from herds that haven''t been previously exposed to the virus have shown a mortality rate of nearly 100%.
Pogranichniy said that the virus is spread by infected animals or infected faecal material from sick pigs and they have to be infected orally by live viral particles in order to become sick.
PEDv has been found in many areas with heavy pig populations such as processing plants, pig collection points and transport vehicles.
According to Pogranichniy, diagnosis of PEDv is done by a Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. A Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory will evaluate animals presented with cases resembling PEDv by a histopathology procedure and identifying lesions on the animals. "Additional tests could be done such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or virus isolation (VI) to detect the virus, or indirect fluorescent antibody assay (IFA) to detect antibodies against PEDv."
As of February 14, an order by Susan Keller, North Dakota state veterinarian, stated that all swine coming into North Dakota must be accompanied by a health certificate declaring that they haven''t been exposed to PEDv.
The certification doesn''t apply to pigs that are just passing through North Dakota while being transported from Canada or states outside of North Dakota. Imported swine into North Dakota for breeding or feeder purposes must be individually identified according to requirements.
In order to prevent their pigs from contracting PEDv, Pogranichniy said that hog producers should talk to their practicing veterinarians about PEDv and start monitoring herd status for PEDv on the farm and making observations for clinical signs and using diagnostic assays (PCR for PEDv). Producers should also increase biosecurity on the farm to prevent virus introduction by infected animals or contaminated items, such as trucks on the farm, he added.
Biosecurity involves making sure the swine barn is clean and virus-free, and establishing a line of separation between the clean area (the barn) and the dirty area (anywhere outside the barn). It also includes washing boots and clothing before and after being around swine, and cleaning and disinfecting vehicles used to transport pigs.