As Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) spread rapidly throughout the swine producing areas after it was introduced to the United States last year, a key to controlling the disease has focused on how it is spread.
At the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Swine Health Seminar in North Carolina last week, Bob Morrison with the University of Minnesota said they recently concluded a project on lateral spread of PEDv where they found three major factors. “First, no surprise, the higher the density, the greater the risk you have of becoming infected,” he said. “Secondly, the frequency of traffic, in particular transportation to the farm, and particularly rendering seemed to increase the risk dramatically.”
The third major factor was presence of rodents, birds or feral animals. “Probably a reflection of the biosecurity of the farm,” said Morrison. They are working on other projects that are tracking national incidence and the impact on production.
Morrison says cooperation within the industry and willingness on the part of producers and veterinarians to share information is going a long way in working toward control of PEDv. “When a third of the industry is willingly sharing their experience, that’s phenomenal, and in my view that’s competitive advantage for our industry over other countries,” he said.
Interview with Bob Morrison, University of Minnesota