While foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) makes its way through regions of Europe and Asia, a “lookalike” virus – Senecavirus A (SVA) – is gaining momentum in the U.S. swine industry.
Experts warn that SVA is clinically indistinguishable from FMD. Both viruses cause vesicular lesions on the snout, mouth, and coronary bands, often resulting in sudden lameness. With new FMD serotypes emerging globally that current vaccines cannot stop, the stakes for U.S. biosecurity have never been higher.
“Vigilance for detection and diagnostic confirmation of vesicular lesions of swine continues to be critical to prevent FMD entry into the U.S. especially with increasing global disease activity,” says Dr. Ann Carpenter, a veterinary medical officer with USDA APHIS Veterinary Services.
Understanding the virus, its pathogenesis, routes of transmission, disease trends, as well as control and mitigation steps, can help producers protect their herd from this emerging disease and enhance prevention for other vesicular diseases such as FMD.
SVA Seasonality: Why Summer and Fall Pose the Highest Risk
Data from the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project (MSHMP), funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), reveals a distinct seasonal pattern for SVA in breeding herds.
- Cases spike in the third quarter (July–September) and remain elevated through the fourth quarter (October–December).
- Surveillance shows a concentration of cases in the Midwest during the latter half of the year.
- While cumulative incidence remains below 2.5% annually, the virus continues to circulate, particularly in areas with high pig density.
Dr. Mariana Kikuti, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, notes that for sites with repeat outbreaks, the median interval is approximately 402 days.
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