New PED strain gives Ontario's pig industry a wide berth for now

Monday, January 12, 2015

by SUSAN MANN

The new, third strain of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus that’s showed up in the United States hasn’t appeared in Ontario, says an Ontario Pork spokesperson.

The new strain was found in a Minnesota hog herd, and researchers say it’s a possible mutation of the original virus that was first discovered in the United States in April 2013. Ontario had its first case of PED virus almost a year ago on a Middlesex County farm. Since then there have been 69 confirmed cases.

PED causes vomiting, diarrhea and high death loss in nursing pigs. In growing pigs, there is widespread diarrhea with low mortality. PED is not a human health or food safety risk.

There was a second strain of PED found on an Ontario hog farm in June “that was slightly different from the original strain that was here but it hasn’t been found since then either,” says Mike DeGroot, Ontario Pork national biosecurity coordinator. “It was contained to just one farm.”

DeGroot says it’s not surprising a third strain has surfaced. “I know they’re talking about it being a possible mutation and viruses are known to do that.” He points out that since PED hit the United States, they have found not only the different PED strains but also different coronaviruses, such as the delta coronavirus.

“I think whatever contaminated the North American industry probably sent a couple different stains over here at that time,” he says.

DeGroot says there’s always a risk the new strain could come to Ontario too. Farmers should continue to follow good biosecurity practices to keep new strains as well as the old ones out of their barns.

But there’s not a lot of evidence that strains of virus have moved this way from the United States since last January when PED virus was suspected to come to Ontario via nursery feed, he explains, adding they’re more worried about containing the PED virus that’s in Ontario now.

Most farms infected last year in Ontario have either eliminated the virus or have plans in place that will eliminate the virus shortly from the farm, he says.

“If we can have less than three or four new cases a month for the January, February months and then move into warmer weather and then get zero cases again across the summer, I think we’re doing pretty good.” BF