By Bruce Cochrane
The executive director of the National Swine Health Information Center says the onset of colder weather this coming fall and winter will be the true test of action taken to contain the spread of the virus responsible for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea.
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, like TGE or Transmissible Gastro Enteritis, is more hardy and is spread more easily during colder weather.
Dr. Paul Sundberg, the executive director of the National Swine Health Information Center, reports we're still going through the summer, and at this point, the activity of PEDv in the U.S. remains at a very low level.
Dr. Paul Sundberg-National Swine Health Information Center:
Primarily the virus is affecting finishing floors that most probably are becoming infected as they travel to and from markets.
There still are some sow herds that are being affected, but for the most part, it's a very low level of activity.
We are confident that the continued attention to biosecurity and the preparedness of the gilts as they enter into the sow herds will be able to address that level as we go on into the fall and into the winter.
We all are looking forward to fall and winter as another spot and it's going to be another water mark of activity of PED in the U.S. and all of those things that we've gone through, all of the educational and all of the communication things that we've gone through with PED we're hopeful will keep the virus at a very low level continuing through the fall and winter.
Dr. Sundberg says, when you increase the humidity and decrease the temperature, the virus can survive longer and be more easily transmitted.
He notes, because it's spread by the feces of infected pigs, anything that has feces in or on it can transmit the infection and the longer it remains viable the greater the risk, so that's why we're looking to the fall and winter as a very important piece of the history of this virus, to see if we can keep it at the low level that it is now.
Source: Farmscape