The USDA has followed up with more specifics on how to understand and comply with its Federal Order on June 5 that requires pork producers, veterinarians and diagnostic labs to report presumptive or confirmed positive occurrences of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), Porcine Deltacoronavirus, (PDCoV) or other swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECDs) that meet the case definition. The details currently available, including the newly revised SECD Herd Plan Requirements and other instructions on potentially reimbursable expenses, can be found here.
USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working to address these infections with a plan that includes: 1) required disease reporting and 2) development of herd management plans that will indicate the producer is taking actions to implement biosecurity steps designed to reduce further dissemination of PEDV or PDCoV. To this end, APHIS will provide subsidized funding for biosecurity actions by producers described in the herd plans, such as the costs of truck washing and disinfecting agents.
According to APHIS, some of the work to be performed by producers in fighting SECDs that may be reimbursable includes laboratory testing fees for SECD samples, continued monitoring of pigs post-sampling, livestock vehicle washing if called for in an approved herd health plan and the use of disinfectants for cleaning premises, provided funding is available.
Dr. Paul Sundberg, vice president of the National Pork Board’s science and technology department, says, “Continued monitoring of farms through submissions to the veterinary diagnostic laboratories is important and those specific tests will be paid for by USDA at this point. If producers plan to take advantage of the money USDA is making available for cleaning and disinfection, they should work with their herd veterinarian to ensure that their herd management plan indicates that they have the required protocols in place before they fill out the paperwork and submit it to USDA.”
To date, U.S. research into SECDs has confirmed that they are spread by fecal-oral contact with infected swine or contaminated materials. These diseases require strong biosecurity at farms through diligent cleaning and disinfection by transporters, renderers, processors and other service providers and developing herd immunity to reduce clinical signs.
Since the occurrence of PEDV in the United States during the past year, the disease has been confirmed in 30 states and has led to more than 7 million piglet deaths.
Source: Porkcheckoff