The Manager, Swine Health Programs with Manitoba Pork says lesson learned from the 2017 outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea that impacted southeastern Manitoba are helping keep a new outbreak under control.
An outbreak of PED identified in April 2017 infected 80 southeastern Manitoba swine sites before finally being brought under control.
The first case in 2018 was identified May 15th and the number has reached eight, including six previously infected sites.
Jenelle Hamblin, the Manager, Swine Health Programs with Manitoba Pork, says previously exposed sows are not expressing symptoms as severely as the gilts and those who are dealing with the disease have learned more about how the virus works.
There was an overall shift in how a lot of things were done following 2017 and learning how rapid animal movements may be efficient in moving animals around however, from a disease standpoint, it’s hard to keep ahead of a disease when you’re moving animals so frequently. So what we did see, and for me a switch which has stuck in my head, is reducing those movements to one to two times per week versus four to five times a week so, should something show up in the barn, you have a better chance of getting ahead of it prior to moving animals downstream. As well our general biosecurity protocols have been improved. We’re more aware. We have a heightened awareness on the ground of what biosecurity looks like. As well cleaning and disinfection following movements of equipment, transport vehicles. We’ve learned a lot in terms of effective cleaning and disinfection as well. So I think, having lived through it so severely in 2017, I think the actions that we implemented in 2017 that are now already in action for 2018 have definitely helped us.
~ Jenelle Hamblin, Manitoba Pork
Hamblin says the changes are helping veterinarians be on top of things earlier this time around.
