Reducing the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus risk in Ontario

Ontario’s pork industry has developed a series of recommendations on how to reduce the risk of disease transmission through animal movement.

Transport is a high risk factor for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDV) and other diseases, leading the Ontario Pork Industry Council (OPIC) to access funding through Growing Forward 2 to be proactive and take action.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) is a viral disease causing vomiting, diarrhea and high death loss – between 70 and 100 per cent – in piglets, and was first diagnosed in Ontario on January 23, 2014.

Livestock trucks returning from the United States, particularly those transporting hogs to processing facilities were identified as posing the greatest disease risk to the Ontario industry. Up to 65 trucks per week travel from Ontario to the U.S., of which three quarters are delivering animals to processing plants.

Recommendations include using dedicated trailers for trips to the U.S., washing trucks in approved U.S. wash bays before crossing the border or washing on return to Canada before coming into contact with any Canadian pig sites, and scraping out bedding and manure before washing at a site with no potential for pig contact.

On-site audits of major Ontario assembly yards and transport and wash facilities have been conducted and the Ontario Swine Health Advisory Board (OSHAB) developed and distributed a cold weather wash protocol.

Recommendations stemming from the audits include: use of separate lanes by trucks returning from the U.S. to Ontario assembly yards; designation of special U.S. truck loading chutes; implementation of one-way pig flow and establishing a U.S. transporter entrance; improvement of manure management; and control of cross-contamination from foot traffic.

More information is available from the Agricultural Adaptation Council at www.adaptcouncil.org. Growing Forward 2 is a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists with the delivery of Growing Forward 2 in Ontario.

Source: AAC