Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network Introduces Freedom From Blisters Model

The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network has developed a new model to help swine producers ensure their herds are free of infections that cause blisters.

In response to Seneca Valley Virus the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network has developed a model which focusses on freedom from blisters.
CWSHIN Manager Dr. Jette Christensen says Seneca Valley virus may not be a problem for producers or swine practitioners but it is a problem for our veterinary authorities including CFIA and USDA.

Clip-Dr. Jette Christensen-Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network:

The reason is that Seneca Valley virus causes blisters and blisters is the one sign that we use to monitor for Food and Mouth Disease.Therefor if we had, which we don't have any signs of today, Seneca Valley virus on our farms it would interfere with our detection of Foot and Mouth Disease.

We do know however that Seneca Valley virus is present on assembly yards in Ontario and Manitoba and it's also spread on herds in different abattoirs in the U.S. so the USDA has a problem following up on all these blisters they see that are caused by Seneca Valley virus because they need to rule out Foot and Mouth Disease.

We have a problem if our culled sows that are destined for slaughter in the U.S. turns up in the U.S. slaughter plants with blisters.Then there's a traceback to our assembly yards and potentially also to our herds and that's a problem.Over the last month a couple of assembly yards in Canada have been closed down by the USDA for export which really is a problem because it backs up the culled sows and we can't get rid of our culled sows.

Dr. Christensen acknowledges the model does not prove freedom from infection but it does provide good evidence that we're free of Foot and Mouth Disease or Seneca Valley virus in the western region.