As predicted, cold winter weather has increased the spread
of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, especially in Iowa.
Ontario got its first four cases, but the U.S. added
outbreaks at 215 farms last week, the most since the virus first showed up in
Illinois in April.
It’s believed to have come from China.
The recent jump puts the total number of
confirmed cases at 2,692 in 23 states as of the week ended Jan. 25, according
to USDA data (available for download here). Of those, 1,006, or some 40 percent,
were confirmed in Iowa.
Ontario industry officials are optimistic that
tight biosecurity will keep the virus from spreading as it has in Iowa and
North Carolina.
The focus now is on trucks and truckers to
ensure they have been cleansed of manure which carries the virus.
Hog farmers have been cautioned to insist that
any livestock-hauling truck that comes on their farm has been thoroughly cleaned,
washed, disinfected and dried.
They are also advised to have drivers stay in
the cab of their truck while pigs are loaded to go to market to prevent any
virus that may be clinging to their boots or clothing from coming into their
barns.
Those precautions become all the more important now that PED virus has been confirmed at a hog assembly yard and a packing plant.
Another key precaution is ensuring that trucks
that pick up deadstock are kept away from the hog barn and that there is no
cross-contamination from where these trucks have traveled on the farm during
deadstock pickup.
Complete biosecurity details are posted on the
websites of the Ontario Pork marketing board and the Ontario Pork Industry
Council.
