Just Released Report Looks at Economic and Epidemiologic Benefits of Market Haul Trailer Sanitation

The Swine Health Information Center has released the final report on a study which examined the economic and epidemiologic benefits of market haul trailer sanitation. A study conducted through the Swine Health Information Center Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, funded in partnership with the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff and conducted by Iowa State University looked at how different levels of swine transport trailer washing impact the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the intent was to identify practices that best balance disease control and economic feasibility across different swine production scenarios.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:

The main finding was intuitive. When you increase the decontamination rate, you can significantly reduce PED spread.However, with that, it's not always plausible to wash 100 percent of the trailers 100 percent of the time plus, when you factor in the costs, it gets to be very costly very quickly.So, one of the things that was noted, washing up to 60 percent of trailers was identified as a cost-effective strategy if you're assessing it within that single system in a very defined area.

Regional sites, when assessed in the model, may not need to wash as aggressively or even near that level, that 60 percent to achieve reduction in PED spread and that's because of the differences in sites, the locations, where vehicles go and that network connectivity.It was also confirmed that high prevalence sites are really the ones that need to be focused on.

So, when you have a high level of virus it does require a higher level of sanitation, upwards of 80 percent of trailers washed consistently to reduce that disease impact.That's compared to low prevalence sites which may or may not need to wash trailers at all to reduce that incidence of PED spread.

Dr. Becton says this study can be found at swinehealth.org and shows the impact of network connectivity between sites, systems and geographic regions and can help pork producers and veterinarians assess the disease risk in their area.