Step zoo Webinar Set for Wednesday to Cover all aspects of Strep zoo Outbreaks

The Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center says an accurate and conclusive diagnosis of Streptococcus zooepidemicus is important to ensure we don't miss a foreign animal disease.

Streptococcus zooepidemicus was first identified as an emerging disease in the United States in 2019.In response to a series of severe Step zoo outbreaks in Canada, the Swine Health Information Center and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians will host a Strep zoo webinar Wednesday beginning at 1:00 pm central time.

SHIC Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg says one of the reasons for this webinar is to make sure that people are aware of all aspects of Strep zoo outbreaks.

Quote-Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Center:

Certainly, we have the opportunity for a very severe outbreak from Strep zoo.It can cause mortalities very quickly and upon necropsy, if those are done out on the farm, the necropsy will look like a very severe septicemia that may have an enlarged spleen for example or other signs.

That certainly is consistent with a number of different hemorrhagic diseases in pigs and African Swine Fever, Classical Swine Fever are two of them.So, if necropsies are done out on the farm and there are signs of septicemia which could be from Strep zoo as well as could be from foreign animal diseases like African Swine Fever or Classical Swine Fever, the first thing is to step back, call the state, provincial or federal animal health officials and have that investigation done because we want to make sure we don't miss that first incursion of African Swine Fever or Classical Swine Fever in North America assuming that we have something else.

There's a long list of differentials with septicemia.Strep zoo is one and ASF, CSF could be others and we need to be aware of those.For further details on Strep zoo or to register for Wednesday's webinar visit swinehealth.org.