Outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea bears watching

Thursday, October 10, 2013

This highly contagious disease has been found in 17 states and may have caused the death of at least 500,000 piglets. No cases have been found in Canada, but careful monitoring is in order

by RIDHA CHILMERAN   

                                             
The United States is currently experiencing an outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED),  a highly contagious viral disease that causes diarrhea and high mortality in swine. This is the first time the disease has been identified in North America and it has been found in a number of states. On May 17, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed the finding of PED virus in Iowa swine.

According to recent statistics by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), the virus has been confirmed on 527 farms in 17 states causing 70 to 100 per cent mortality rates in young piglets. By farm class, this figure breaks down as follows since the week of 15 April: suckling, 75; nursery, 58; grower/finisher, 216; sows/boars, 98 and 72 unknown. While this is still a very small outbreak, it bears close watching as it could impact U.S. supplies if it is not contained soon. A summary of positive PED virus tests and locations can be found at the AASV website, along with fact sheets and white papers.

PED can cause significant economic loss in the swine industry because of the high morbidity and mortality that occurs in immunologically neonatal piglets. The total number of U.S. pig deaths from the outbreak is not known. Still, some industry analysts and traders have speculated that at least 500,000 piglets have died, which could reduce year-end hog supplies. Further monetary loss occurs because of the cost of vaccination and biosecurity. Acute outbreaks may become less common, but marginally less costly, if PED becomes widespread. Overall, the negative economic effect following the discovery of PED in the United States cannot be estimated at this early stage, but the disease has been manageable in Europe and Asia.

There is no effective treatment other than control of secondary infections. Vaccines exist in Japan, South Korea, and China, but not in the United States or Europe. PED is not a listed disease for either the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) or the USDA, so no quarantines or movement restrictions are in place, either internationally or interstate. However, researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a rapid diagnostic test for PED, allowing pork producers to take necessary precautions to prevent further spread.

Currently, there are no outbreaks of PED reported in Canada, but the presence of PED in the United States. increases the risk of the disease spreading into Ontario. It is imperative that the Ontario pork industry strive to keep PED out of the province and Canada. Ontario Pork, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Border Services, and the Government of Ontario are carefully monitoring the spread of outbreaks south of the border and throughout Europe in order to protect the Canadian industry from contamination. Producers have been asked to notify their veterinarians if any symptoms associated with this virus appear.

Statistics Canada showed that the Ontario inventory of all hogs on June 1, 2013 was 3.1 million head, an increase of 1.5 per cent from Jan. 1, 2013. The breeding stock inventory was 312,900, which is 1.3 per cent higher than in January, and the market hog inventory was 2.8 million head which is 1.6 per cent higher than January values. Supplies are partly higher due to an increase in Canadian exports, and they may get higher if hog losses from the PED virus in the United States continue.

Steve Meyer, president of Iowa-based Paragon Economics and a consultant to the National Pork Producers Council and National Pork Board, says "the disease may have claimed 60,000 to 100,000 pigs in each of the last three weeks of June (see Figure 1). This shortfall would represent fewer hogs that would have come to market in December. With about 2.35 million head of hogs expected each week in December, these losses could reduce supplies by 2.5 to 4.2 per cent."

While these reductions are not considered to be a major supply issue, it is important to keep an eye on the discrepancy between this year's summer pig numbers and, by extension, winter hog slaughter. BP

Ridha Chilmeran is economic analyst at Ontario Pork Universal Services.