PED, TGE and Delta Coronavirus Remain a Threat in Western Canada

Sep 01, 2015

By Bruce Cochrane

Environmental testing has shown PED, TGE and Delta Coronavirus remain a threat in western Canada.

Because of the success of the environmental surveillance programs initiated to monitor high traffic sites for signs of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, those programs are being extended in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for another fiscal year.

Dr. Julia Keenliside, a Veterinary Epidemiologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, told those taking part in Alberta Pork's monthly PED Telephone Town Hall Meeting last week, the success in dealing with PED is a testament not only to our producers' hard work but the hard work of everyone in the industry to work together to keep this disease out.

Dr. Julia Keenliside-Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development:
It certainly is wonderful to be able to report that it's been a year and a half, actually 19 months, since PED was first diagnosed in Canada in Ontario and we have yet to have a case diagnosed in Alberta, Saskatchewan or British Columbia.

Manitoba has had about 5 or 6 clinical cases but they are well on the way to cleaning those up.

In Alberta we have had a few Delta Coronavirus virus positives on environmental samples only but I'd like to remind everybody that we determined that they were not from pig viruses but they were likely from a bird virus and we did not have any sick pigs and we're not seeing any more of those.

Saskatchewan, like Alberta, have not had any cases but they have seen a few more positives certainly with PED, TGE and Delta Coronavirus on some of their surveillance samples over the past year from trucks and truck washes so that does show that the virus is getting trucked into Saskatchewan on occasion but again they're low positives and they have not had any clinical cases.

Dr. Keenliside says we're seeing a much higher level of collaboration in western Canada.

She notes, as PED season rolls around with the cooler fall weather, provincial representatives will be getting together by phone every two weeks to discuss what's happening in western Canada with the surveillance programs.

Source: Farmscape

Video: You Be The Judge: Evaluating 8 Breeding Rams!

It's time for some honest feedback here at Ewetopia Farms! Today, we’re showing you all eight rams we used for breeding this year. Instead of just presenting them, we thought it would be fun to create a “Ram Report Card” — where we point out both their strengths and areas for improvement.

But here’s the twist: you be the judge! In the comments, let us know what you like about each ram and what you think could be improved. No ram is ever perfect, but every one of them brings something valuable to the flock. By sharing perspectives, we all learn more about what to look for in good breeding stock.

At Ewetopia Farms, we raise registered Suffolk and Polled Dorset sheep, focusing on high-quality genetics, structure, and friendly temperaments. Evaluating breeding rams is part of the bigger picture of building stronger flocks — and we’re excited to share the process with you.

If you enjoy seeing how we evaluate our animals, follow along by subscribing to our channel. We share daily insights into the joys and challenges of sheep farming here in Canada.