By Bruce Cochrane
The executive director of the U.S. based Swine Health Information Center reports a dramatic decline in the number of cases of Seneca Valley Virus.
The U.S. Pork industry has stepped up its focus on Seneca Valley Virus.
Swine Health Information Center executive director Dr. Paul Sundberg says Seneca Valley Virus can affect production but it resolves fairly quickly however its symptoms can be easily confused with those of Foot and Mouth Disease.
Dr. Paul Sundberg-Swine Health Information Center:
We know that the virus is distributed across North America.
It's in Canada, it's across the United States in different areas and different regions of the country in many of the hog production states.
It's also been identified around the world.
It's been identified in Brazil, it's been identified in New Zealand and other counties so it is a concern because there's been an increase in the incidence of disease over the summer.
The good news is that right now the veterinary diagnostic labs are reporting that their cases that they're getting in have noticeably decreased over the fall and coming into the cooler months.
Historically Seneca Valley Virus has been a virus that we've seen just sporadically but primarily in the summer months, an infection or 2 or 5 during the summer months.
This year we've had many more than that and we didn't know for sure if the virus would quiet down during the winter as it had before because of the increase in incidence and also the genetic variability of the virus.
But the good news is that it appears, at least at this point, that the incidence is going down remarkable and we hopefully are heading into a much quieter time over the winter.
Dr. Sundberg urges producers to report any vesicular lesions or blisters or lameness in sows or pigs to their state or federal animal health official and not assume its Seneca Valley Virus so we don't miss first case Foot and Mouth Disease since 1929.
Source: Farmscape