May 4, 2007

More Wisconsin pigs test negative for pseudorabies

Tests of Clark County swine herds for pseudorabies in a final quarantine area came out negative, which should clear the way for the state to retain its status as free of the disease despite an outbreak in two herds, officials said Wednesday (May 3).

The herds that tested negative were being released immediately from the quarantine aimed at preventing any spread of the viral illness, which causes respiratory symptoms in healthy adult hogs but can kill newborn pigs and cause abortion or stillbirth in sows.

Both herds where the disease was found, one with 300 pigs near Greenwood and the other with 27 near Loyal, were destroyed last Friday.

The Greenwood cases were the first confirmed in a commercial herd nationally since 2003.

Federal officials had classified the two infected herds as transitional, meaning the disease likely came from contact with wild pigs, which is considered less of a disease risk to the swine industry than infections that come from within commercial herds.

State Veterinarian Robert Ehlenfeldt announced Wednesday that tests were negative on the farms within five miles of the Loyal farm. Earlier tests proved negative on farms within five miles of the Greenwood farm.

The pigs on farms within two miles of the infected herds must still be retested after the infected farms are cleaned and disinfected.