GeneSeek of Lincoln, Neb., is providing next-day test
results for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus for $25 per sample.
The lab, which is owned by Neogen Corp., has developed the
test using real-time polymerase chain reaction technology.
For Canadians, it means much faster results for swabs taken
of trucks, boots, clothing, etc., of those returning to Canada from the U.S.
But it’s much more important for Americans who will learn sooner
whether a barn has been infected and therefore strict biosecurity measures are
required to keep the disease from spreading to others.
The disease has spread to hundreds of hog farms in20 states
since it first showed up in the U.S. last spring. It is now widespread in Iowa
and North Carolina where hog production is highly concentrated.
The Canadian industry has been on alert to keep it from
spreading here where it could wipe out an entire generation of new-born piglets
in sow barns and severely impact performance and increase mortality rates among
pigs in grower and finishing barns.
