February 17, 2014

Following a suspected case of porcine epidemic diarrhoea (PED) which was identified on a wean to finish farm in Canada, the Manitoba Pork Council is encouraging its members to improve focus on biosecurity measures.

PED was first identified in the US in May and it broke last month in Ontario. Recently, the Chief Veterinary Office of Manitoba reported the first positive samples of the virus in Manitoba from pigs on a weaned to finish farm. Samples have been sent to the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease in Winnipeg for confirmation.

Kynoch said: "Basically what we want to do is work on trying to contain the disease and prevent the spread of it so we'll be focussing on trying to trace where the disease has come from and also be looking into if there's been any pigs moved off from the farm, where they've went and they'll be checking to see if that disease has been carried there."

Kynoch notes that Manitoba pork Council has been working with producers in the US and Ontario.