Category Archives: Animal Health

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus has caused devastating losses at the global level. Highly transmissible and stable in the environment, PEDV has moved rapidly across pork-producing regions of the world. The exception to the rule, Canada has been effective in their efforts at slowing the spread of PEDV and their attempts at eradication may ultimately succeed. The Canadian effort is based on extensive PEDV real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction testing of animals, farms, and the production chain, i.e., livestock assembly yards, abattoirs, truck wash stations and livestock trailers. [Source: National Hog Farmer 4 June 2019]

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) June Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows PRRSV activity continues to remain in predicted values though the highest number of cases for 2019 were tested in May. PEDV and PDCoV detection by PCR were also within expected values in May with the highest number of cases for the year tested for each virus. Positive cases of TGEV continued to decline. The report notes the overall detection of MHP by PCR is within expected values though there was a substantial increase in positive cases among adult sows from April to May. Diagnoses of respiratory syndromes for spring this year compared to last is similar. There was a 28.47% increase in the number of enteric diagnoses for spring 2019 compared to last year. Details are included in the full report.

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.

The Swine Disease Eradication Center at the University of Minnesota in collaboration with the Center of Animal Health and Food Safety has developed a training video on best practices for the use of Ultraviolet Light Germicidal Chambers (aka UV boxes) for biosecurity programs in swine farms. The video and downloadable materials can be found here: z.umn.edu/UVBox.

The updated and newly released Visual Guides of Animal Reproduction (VisGAR, formerly the Drost Project) is available and can be accessed at https://visgar.vetmed.ufl.edu. The user- and search-friendly website is now accessible on hand held devices including phones and tablets. If you wish to share photos or have questions or comments, please e-mail VISGAR@ad.ufl.edu.

On March 25th of this year, after many months of sightings, a single feral pig was shot and killed by USDA Wildlife Services in Lyndonville, VT. Subsequently the boar tested positive for pseudorabies virus infection, or PRV. The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets (VAAFM) was notified of the positive PRV test result on April 29, 2019. At this time, Vermont is not known to have an established feral swine population. (Source: VAAFM 9 May 2019)

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.

All swine must be individually inspected and identified within seven days of the show and an Iowa-licensed veterinarian must supervise the health of the swine as they arrive at The Exhibition. [Source: National Hog Farmer and IDALS, 6 May 2019]

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.

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.