The number of new cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus
is beginning to decline, likely because the weather is turning warmer and
killing the highly-infectious virus that fares better in cold weather.
Seven labs across the United States report 187 more
outbreaks in the week that ended May 17, down from 189 the previous week.
The latest data bring the number of confirmed
cases to 6,804 since the virus was discovered in the United States in May,
2013.
There has been only one new case in Canada this
month, and that was the second outbreak in Manitoba. There have been no more in
Ontario since April 30.
Ontario took the hardest hit, beginning the end
of January, when contaminated feed was sold for nursing pigs. Blood plasma from
U.S. pigs is blamed and Grand Valley Fortifiers of Cambridge has stopped using
it.
