PED and Pig Feed Connection

Feb 09, 2014

Swine Feed Identified as a ‘Potential Vector’ for Spreading Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus

Amid the growing spread of the pig-killing virus, known as porcine epidemic diarrhea or PED, new information has become available which indicates that the virus may also be spread through pig feed. Until now, it was believed that the virus could only be transmitted through hog manure or from pig to pig.

On February 9, Dr. Steve Dritz from Kansas State University (KSU) posted a statement on KSU’s website.

“The magnitude of risk that swine feed can be a potential vector for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus transmission is currently unknown,” the notice said. “We believe that further investigation is urgently needed to define the relative risk of feed or feed ingredients for transmission of PED virus.”

Swine feed that contains porcine origin blood plasma is the concern. It’s a relatively new feed ingredient used as a protein source for early-weaned pigs. The product is produced by American Protein Corporation, which is headquartered in Ames, Iowa.

Dried plasma comes from pigs and is used as an ingredient in some pig starter, also known as creep feed. The feed is given to piglets while still on their mother (sow), or in the first days of post weaning.

With the new information about feed possibly causing the spread of PED, an Ontario feed company is taking precautions to protect its consumers. Grand Valley Fortifiers, based in Cambridge, Ont., is asking its customers to stop feeding products that contain porcine origin blood plasma.

The products include the following (sold from the date Jan. 1at 2014 forward):

Bionic®
BioForce®
BioPrime® nursery feeds (Phases 1 - 4)

Grand Valley Fortifiers said it is recalling all these feed products in question and will credit farmers if they’ve bought the feed products.

The company has stopped selling feeds that contain animal by-products (dried plasma), and moved to handling a new line of nursery feeds, under the brand name Natures Blend.

Since last spring, the United States has been dealing with PED, which has infected over 2,000 hog farms in 22 different states, killing millions of pigs. Since then, it has also spread to Canada, with the first case being identified Jan. 22 on a farm in Middlesex County. There are now eleven confirmed cases in Ontario.

PED is almost 100 percent fatal for piglets, while older animals typically recover from the virus. The virus does not pose a risk to human health, and is not a food safety concern. Pork producers are encouraged to continue and maintain strict biosecurity protocols to mitigate the spread.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.