For pork producers, the goal is ambitious but straightforward: eliminate porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. The Wisconsin Pork Association’s PEDV Elimination Pilot Program is designed to test a coordinated, regional approach to that goal.
Eliminating porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) nationwide will require coordinated action beyond any single farm. The Wisconsin Pork Association (WPA) is putting this concept into action through a 24-month PEDV Elimination Pilot Program.
“Our number one goal is eliminating PEDV in the state of Wisconsin,” said Keri Retallick, executive vice president of WPA. “We’re going to start that regionally in the state, and then we’ll move toward the entire state.”
This pilot program is designed to bring producers, veterinarians and industry partners together to learn what it takes to move from managing PEDV to eliminating it.
Why Wisconsin Chose to Act
The pilot program builds on years of disease surveillance in Wisconsin. Beginning in 2018, the state required testing for PEDV and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) for certain swine movements. WPA launched a program that provided rebates to producers who submitted their test results, and the data was recorded for research purposes. The state testing requirement ended in July 2026, but WPA saw an opportunity to continue building on the information they collected.
“We were still very interested in where we were with our efforts, working with individuals who continue to test and considering what we can do to possibly eliminate PEDV in Wisconsin,” said Retallick.
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