Another new pig virus has been detected at six
Ontario hog farms – DeltaCoronavirus (SDCV).
The Animal Health Laboratory says the symptoms are
similar to Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) and Porcine Edidemic Diarrhea
(PED) virus, but it’s less deadly.
It prompts pigs of all ages to vomit and to develop
diarrhea and has the highest mortality rate among piglets
The Animal Health Laboratory at the University of
Guelph developed the ability to test for the virus after it was first
identified by Iowa State University. The six Ontario cases have been confirmed
by testing at that lab.
These are the first confirmed cases of SDCV in Canada,
the Guelph lab says.
SDCV was first detected in pigs in Hong Kong in 2012.
In February 2014, the United States Department of
Agriculture along with the Ohio Department of Agriculture issued a press
release indicating that SDCV had been detected in swine manure at four farms in
Ohio.
These farms had pigs exhibiting clinical signs
similar to PED, and three of the four farms had tested positive for PED as well
as SDCV.
The Guelph lab ran tests for SDCV after samples from
farms indicated the sick pigs had neither TGE nor PED virus.
The tests are available free of charge in Ontario for
symptomatic herds.
SDCV causes diarrhea and vomiting in all age groups
and mortality in nursing pigs, the lab says. Mortality rates appear to be lower
than in cases of PED.
SDCV is not a risk to
human health or to other animals, nor is it a food safety risk.
The lab says SDCV can
be prevented and managed in the same way as PED:
·
ensuring
vigilance and strong biosecurity at the farm level,
·
diligent
cleaning and disinfection by transporters, renderers,
processors and other
service providers
·
developing
herd immunity to reduce clinical signs
“To protect Ontario’s
swine herd, it is critical that all those in the industry – producers,
transporters, suppliers – continue to work together to maintain increased
vigilance with biosecurity measures.
“Contact your
veterinarian immediately if animals show any signs of illness, or if you require
assistance in developing biosecurity strategies,” an advisory bulletin from the
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food says.
