The Office of Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) has confirmed the province’s first case of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus on a farm in southeast Manitoba, based on a positive test result from the National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease.
Manitobans are reminded that PED is not a food safety issue and it does not affect humans. However, it can be a severe and often fatal illness in newborn and young pigs. Older animals often have less serious symptoms and generally recover.
The CVO and the Manitoba Pork Council (MPC) developed a response plan last fall on how to work with affected farms, the hog industry and other stakeholders to eradicate the disease on any infected farms, prevent the spread of PED and investigate the sources of infection. They are following through on that plan with the affected farm and with the industry as a whole.
The affected producer has been working closely with the Manitoba government and the MPC to contain the virus on the premises and has chosen to restrict all animal movement on and off the farm. To date, the animals have shown less severe symptoms and mortalities are within the normal range for a farm operation of this type.
The current focus of the Office of the CVO’s investigation is to identify any contact that other farms may have had with the premises. The investigation will also look into how the virus may have arrived at the farm.
On Feb. 3, the Manitoba government and the MPC launched a rapid-detection monitoring program for PED where facilities that move or handle large numbers of pigs can determine if they have been exposed. No cases have been detected using this system to date, but its operations will continue.
Trucks transporting pigs can help reduce the risk of transmitting PED between farms by following appropriate truck-washing protocols. The Manitoba government, the MPC and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been providing this information to transport vehicles at the Manitoba border since earlier this month.
There are now 15 farm premises that have tested positive for PED across Canada including 13 in Ontario and one in Prince Edward Island. Manitoba has notified other jurisdictions of its first case and will remain in regular contact with chief veterinary officers and other industry stakeholders across the country on this issue.
Producers are encouraged to continue with the necessary biosecurity protocols to prevent the spread of PED and report suspected cases to their veterinarian as soon as possible. The MPC can provide resources and expertise in this area and producers can connect with them at 1-888-893-7447 (toll-free) or online at www.manitobapork.com.
