Zoetis Inc. announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a conditional license for a vaccine to help fight porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) in pigs. The two-dose inactivated vaccine, licensed for use in healthy pregnant sows and gilts, is designed to help them develop antibodies that can be transmitted to their newborn piglets. Zoetis anticipates the vaccine will be available to veterinarians and pork producers later in September.

“This vaccine is an important part of our commitment to working with veterinarians and pork producers to help minimize the impact of PEDv on pigs in their care,” said Gloria Basse, vice president, U.S. Pork Business Unit, Zoetis. “To achieve the best possible results, producers should work closely with their veterinarians and the Zoetis technical services team to implement the new vaccine into their biosecurity programs.”

The vaccine is given as a 2 mL intramuscular (IM) injection to sows or gilts prior to farrowing. Two doses given three weeks apart are recommended, with the second dose given two weeks pre-farrowing. Previously vaccinated sows should receive a single dose given two weeks before farrowing.

To receive the conditional license, the vaccine was shown to be safe in a field safety study, and a reasonable expectation of efficacy was demonstrated. Zoetis is working to complete the studies necessary to obtain full licensure in the United States.

Zoetis continues work with Iowa State University on a second vaccine approach to help control PEDv. The results from these vaccine research programs could have applicability in countries outside the U.S. where PEDv has been identified and is threatening swine herds and the livelihoods of producers.

In the meantime, ongoing efforts to slow the spread of PEDv continue to focus on improving biosecurity measures. From the farm to transport trucks, stepped-up efforts include additional sanitation, better control of access points and review of employee protocols. All of these steps have been demonstrated to help mitigate the risk of the virus entering a farm.