June 12, 2013

Canadian hog industry takes measures to prevent PED

In order to keep Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) out of the country's herds, the Canadian hog industry is taking steps to prevent hog production problems.

The disease was recently diagnosed in the States - the first time it's been found in North America. It's not a food safety or human health issue - but it can create hog production problems and kill young pigs.

A recent national teleconference call involving over 115 people from across the industry discussed a whole series of appropriate next steps. At the top of the list is extra vigilance on biosecurity.

That includes making sure any trucks returning from the US are cleaned and disinfected before entering any site containing swine. The Canadian Swine Health Board's website has protocols for doing that.

Anyone returning from an infected area should ensure they follow effective biosecurity protocols, keeping in mind that PED can be spread by contaminated footwear.

The Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians is developing a notice for transporters to remind them of the threat posed by PED.

Investigators in the US are still trying to figure out how the virus came to North America from either Asia or Europe.