The chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board suggests a national approach to dealing with swine disease will put Canada in a much better position to deal with PED and the next disease threat.
Since Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea was first identified in Ontario in January it has been confirmed in just over 30 sites in Ontario with isolated cases in Quebec, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island.
Canadian Swine Health Board chair Brian Sullivan observes strategies introduced over the past four years have played a key role first in delaying the entry of the virus into Canada and now in limiting its spread.
Right now the industry is going through a consultation process to look at a vision for long term sustainable and industry led initiatives on swine health.
Industry is resolved to contain and eliminate PED from Canada and discussions are taking place right now on a national strategy to achieve that end.
There needs to be a concerted effort to do this quickly.
As we head into spring and the warmer weather we have a good opportunity to contain it and eliminate it from the sites that currently have it.
We need to do it quickly while the weather is warm because that’s the lowest risk time for this virus to be spreading and if we can get things cleaned up before next winter comes along that is going to put us in the best position we can be.
That’s a goal that the industry has set in place and, at this time, we’re looking at bringing stakeholders together to develop a national strategy to achieve that end.
Sullivan says PED isn’t the first swine disease to come to Canada and it won’t be last but this national collaboration has put Canada in a better position in the face of PED and will put us in a better position going forward.
