African swine fever (ASF) continues to impact the swine industry worldwide. During the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) annual meeting last week in Paris, member countries considered and passed a resolution regarding ASF. Within Resolution No. 33 is a framework for addressing this global threat, recognizing the need for collaborative preparedness, prevention, detection, and control measures. Key points from the resolution are included in this article and the full text is here. Of particular note is the recommendation for OIE to develop specific guidelines for implementation of zoning and compartmentalization. An ad hoc working group will meet this year to draft these guidelines, which could help continue international pork marketing even after a contained ASF outbreak.
Author Archives: Paul Sundberg
SHIC Helps to Offer a New Approach on Feed Mitigation Evaluation
Contaminated feed has been documented as a risk factor for the transboundary and domestic movement of viral pathogens, including porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), African swine fever virus (ASFV), and Seneca Virus A (SVA, a surrogate for foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV)). A new study, partially funded by the Swine Health Information Center, examines four feed additives, including medium chain fatty acid blends, organic acid mixtures and acid/aldehydes, to determine their ability to negatively affect viral survival. Data from this study suggest that the use of validated additives may reduce the risk of viral infection via contaminated feed.
SHIC-Funded Study Examines Biosecurity of International Genetics Transport
The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) continues to fund investigation into possible pathways of foreign animal disease into the US. A recently completed SHIC-funded study looked at international transportation biosecurity practices of four cooperating US breeding stock companies. One question of high interest was about the possibility of transport crates being reused after exposure in another country and returning something other than pigs back into the US. In the process they found crates are not reused and are marked as “one-use” due to swine health biosecurity concerns. Investigators also found participating breeding stock companies have robust biosecurity procedures for both import/exports due to their investment in maintaining the health status of these pigs. Additionally, they discovered exports/imports are frequent, however, imports from outside North America occur less often. The complete research report can be found here.
Summer Travels? Tell SHIC About Your Experience with US Customs and Border Protection Screening
Keeping African swine fever (ASF) out of the United States requires more than diligence on the farm. International travelers returning home, or those visiting from other countries, present another significant risk. All international travelers entering the United States after visiting a farm or being in contact with animals in a country (or countries) with ASF, or any other foreign animal disease, should declare this information to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) via written form, airport kiosk, or verbally. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), National Pork Board (NPB), and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) continue to ask international travelers to report if they were not diverted for secondary screening upon arrival in the United States. CBP has responded to the submission of the pork industry’s reports about missed secondary screenings with new processes and enhanced, proactive measures.
SHIC-Funded Study Demonstrates Transfer of Livestock Trailer Contamination to Barns
The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) funded a pilot study to determine if a fluorescent powder could be used to study the transfer of contamination from livestock trailers to barns during marketing events. Conducted by staff from Iowa State University (ISU) in collaboration with Iowa Select Farms, the study addresses concerns that livestock trailers are frequently contaminated with PRRSV, PEDV, and other pathogens at swine slaughter plants in the US. Results of this pilot study demonstrated fluorescent powder can be used to track contamination between livestock trailers and barns, offering a needed tool for evaluation and subsequent improvement in transport biosecurity. Complete study results are available on the SHIC website.
US Customs and Border Protection Responds to Reports About Lack of Secondary Screening
Keeping African swine fever (ASF) out of the United States requires more than diligence on the farm. International travelers returning home, or those visiting from other countries, present another significant risk. All international travelers entering the United States after visiting a farm or being in contact with animals in a country (or countries) with ASF, or any other foreign animal disease, should declare this information to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) via written form, airport kiosk, or verbally. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), National Pork Board (NPB), and National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) continue to ask international travelers to report if they were not diverted for secondary screening upon arrival in the United States. CBP has responded to the submission of the pork industry’s reports about missed secondary screenings with new processes and enhanced, proactive measures.
May Swine Disease Monitoring Report Now Available
The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) May Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows PRRSV activity remained within the predicted values for 2019 to date. The level of detection of PEDV by PCR was within expected values for April with a 3 percentage point drop in positive results from March to April this year. PDCoV detection level was above expected in mid-April and Monitoring Report advisors said some sow farms experiencing outbreaks had clinical signs of the virus. Streptoccoccus suis (S. suis) continues to be the major agent detected on CNS tissue, however, in March and April there were an increased number of Pestivirus, Porcine Sapelovirus, and salt intoxication detections on CNS tissue when compared to the same time frame in 2018 and 2017. There was also an increase in detection of the following respiratory insultants this spring compared to 2018: Haemophilus parasuis, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Pasteurella multocida, and Mycoplasma hyorhinis.
Research on Viral Transmission in Feedstuffs Yields New Information
With research confirming that swine viruses can be transmitted through feed and feedstuffs, new studies are looking at how to prevent the spread of foreign animal diseases, such as African swine fever (ASF), via these vehicles. Based on new research, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians have revised the information for feed holding times.
SHIC Collaborates with University of Minnesota to Host Workshop to Examine Vitamins’ Role in Feed Security
In an effort to examine the role of ingredients, especially vitamins, in feed biosecurity, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and the University of Minnesota organized a vitamin manufacturing sector-wide workshop. Representatives from pork industry organizations including National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, vitamin manufacturers and blenders, and feed industry associations joined SHIC and the University of Minnesota for the workshop in late April in St. Paul, Minnesota. Participants focused on vitamins and the processes involved prior to delivery to a producer’s farm, with special focus on African swine fever transport and transmission risk.
SHIC-Sponsored Studies Show Correlation Between PCV3 and Lesions and Improves Diagnostic Tools
Preliminary results from research sponsored by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) shows statistically significant correlation between PCV3 and the clinical sign of fetal death as well as histological lesions of myocarditis, vasculitis of the heart, and vasculitis of the spleen. A newly developed and validated mqPCR assay enables performance of rapid, sensitive, and specific detection and differentiation of PCV3 and PCV2 strains with high strain coverage in clinical samples.