The Michigan Department of Agriculture has confirmed an outbreak of pseudorabies virus (PRV) in 19 swine on a privately owned facility in Saginaw County.
All swine on the Saginaw County cervid facility will be captured and destroyed. Feral swine in the vicinity of the facility are being trapped and euthanized by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Wildlife Services for disease testing. MDA encourages Michigan residents to shoot feral swine and to have MDA test the carcass for disease.
Effective immediately, MDA is banning the importation of swine intended for: breeding on game ranches, for supply to game ranches, or facilities using swine for sport, hunting, or shooting. Any farms that sold to, or received live swine from this facility will be quarantined and tested. Violations of the quarantine and ban are punishable by fines of up to $50,000 and/or up to five years imprisonment. Additionally, all farms and ranches with commercial or sport swine in a five-mile radius around the PRV positive ranch will be quarantined and the swine tested for PRV.
Michigan’s PRV-free status for the commercial swine industry should remain intact as long as commercial operations remain PRV-free.
Source:
Michigan Department of Agriculture, News Release May 6, 2008