Federal order on swine enteric coronavirus updated

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on January 4 issued an updated federal order related to swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECD), including porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus and swine delta coronavirus. The order is effective immediately.
The updated order will do several things, including changing how emergency funding APHIS received in 2014 will be used. APHIS has reprioritized its needs going forward and will focus all remaining SECD funds towards diagnostic testing. With this modification, the funds should last long enough to cover diagnostic testing through this winter season.
The revised federal order will also eliminate the herd plan requirement, as well as reimbursement to veterinarians for completing those plans. And, it will also eliminate reimbursement for biosecurity actions, like truck washing.
In response to a large number of SECD cases that were causing significant hardship for the U.S. swine industry, APHIS issued a federal order in June 2014 making SECD a reportable disease. At the same time, USDA made funds available to cover specific costs associated with the disease. SECD remains a reportable disease, which means that producers, veterinarians, and diagnostic laboratories are required to report all cases of SECD to USDA or state animal health officials. The reporting criteria are unchanged in the updated federal order.
USDA is receiving more accurate and timely information about SECD affected herds and their locations, which allows animal health officials to better understand how the disease spreads and what measures are most effective in containing it. The outbreak peaked between January and March 2015. In the last 5 months, the weekly average of new confirmed positive premises has dropped 90 percent when compared to the average number of weekly cases during the peak of the outbreak.  

Innovative test designed to detect swine flu virus subtypes

Pork producers now have access to a comprehensive diagnostic kit designed to test production animals for swine influenza virus (SIV) subtypes with the launch of the VetMAX™-Gold SIV Subtyping Kit, the industry’s only USDA-approved, real-time PCR test of its kind.

Swine have a unique role in the transmission of influenza viruses among species. They are the only animal raised in abundance that can both be infected by and transmit virus to other pigs. When housed in close contact, the pig can serve as a biological mixing vessel, where influenza genes from any susceptible species can combine and undergo re-assortment within the animal to emerge as a new subtype. The complexity of swine influenza diagnostics requires a robust molecular subtyping solution for reliable differentiation of the swine H and N subtypes, providing information used to monitor and control the disease.

When used in combination with MagMAX™ Pathogen RNA/DNA Kit and VetMAX-Gold SIV Detection Kit, the VetMAX-Gold SIV Subtyping Kit provides veterinary diagnostic laboratories with a complete screening and subtyping solution that is both rapid and cost-effective. The SIV Detection Kit provides a detection rate of more than 95 percent in positive samples, and can return results in less than a day.

Counted among the top three respiratory health challenges in production animals, SIV is highly contagious, causing fever, lethargy and significant weight loss, resulting in economic loss to producers. Hog production companies have previously estimated the cost of the disease to range from $3.23¹ to $10.31² per pig as a result of reduced performance or mortality.

Thermo Fisher now offers five USDA-licensed molecular diagnostic tests for customers, more than any other company in the animal health space. Sold under the VetMAX™-Gold name, they include: BVDV PI Detection Kit, SIV Detection Kit, SIV Subtyping Kit, Trich Detection Kit and the AIV Detection Kit.

¹ Dykhuis Haden C., T. Painter, T. Fangman, and D. Holtkamp. Assessing production parameters and economic impact of swine influenza, PRRS and Mycoplasma hyopneimoniae on finishing pigs in a large production system. Proceedings 2012 AASV Annual Meeting. 75-76.
² Donovan, T.S. Influenza isolate selection methodology for timely autogenous vaccine use. Proceedings 2008 Amer Assoc Swine Vet Conf. 557-561.

Boehringer Ingelheim to fund European PRRS research

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health is sponsoring the European PRRS Research Award to support applied research for the improved control porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. As the company announced in March, the submissions for the 2015 European PRRS Research Award are open until July 31. To continuously work on practical approaches to manage the disease, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health will provide three grants of EUR25,000 (US$27,522) each to fund research proposals that will generate new and practical information to better understand this devastating and costly disease.
The objectives of this initiative are to encourage research resulting in practical application strategies to control PRRS and to enhance the interaction among swine researchers and veterinarians. In addition, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health’s intention is to enhance communication in the industry on practical PRRS control strategies and to reward research excellence. The PRRS virus infects pigs around the globe causing respiratory tract illness in growing pigs and reproductive failure in breeding stock. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health strives to find solutions for an improved PRRS control.
Applications to submit research proposals can be completed online. Each proposal will be reviewed by an independent review board of highly recognized swine industry professionals including researchers and practitioners. The board will select proposals based on several factors, including their significance, potential for impact to the swine industry, originality and innovation.
The winners of the 2015 European PRRS Research Award will be announced in October. The company also sponsored the research program in 2014.

Using viruses to treat bacterial infections in pigs?

Pig producers could soon be using viruses to treat bacterial infections. Professor Martha Clokie, University of Leicester, is going to be leading research into certain types of viruses that could be used to treat Brachyspira and Salmonella in pigs.
Speaking at the BPEX Innovation Conference, Clokie said that viruses behave as selective parasites of bacteria. Therefore, “friendly” viruses, known as bacteriophages, can be used as specific and targeted treatments for certain bacteria.
“In our work in humans we’ve been able to use certain viruses to treat the gut bacterium Clostridium difficile,” she said. “Plus, because of the phages’ specificity, they can also be used to diagnose which bacteria are causing active infection.
“Phages have been used to treat bacteria in this way for 100 years but interest in this area has been revived recently because of the rise in resistance to antibiotics. Originally, the specificity of bacteriophages was seen as a challenge and the broad spectrum of antibiotics made them the favoured option when they were discovered, she said.
“However, bacteriophages are highly specific to their host and only bind to and infect those bacteria. Because of this, they won’t damage the whole flora of the gut which makes them a valuable alternative option to antibiotics.”
Clokie mentioned that, in future, they could be used at farm level or even in the abattoir to reduce contamination of carcasses. 

LSU research developing vaccines against swine diseases

Shafiqul Chowdhury, DVM, MS, PhD, professor in the Louisiana State University (LSU) Department of Pathobiological Sciences, is developing vaccines against classical swine fever and porcine circo virus, thanks to a $350,230 grant from Ceva.
With this funding, Chowdhury’s laboratory is working to develop vaccines using a pseudorabies virus of swine (a herpes virus of swine associated with respiratory infections) as a vector to express classical swine fever and PCV2 protective antigens. The pseudorabies virus vector being used is a double-gene-deleted virus, so the vaccine virus is attenuated, does not reactivate or recur in the animal, and acts as a marker so veterinarians can distinguish vaccinated animals from infected animals.
Chowdhury’s research project supported by the Ceva funds is entitled, “Construction of a dual gene-deleted (envelope glycoprotein E and thymidine kinase TK-deleted) pseudorabies virus (PRV) expressing classical swine fever envelope protein E2 and porcine circovirus 2b (PCV2b) capsid (CAP) proteins.”
While not currently found in the United States, classical swine fever (hog cholera) exists in Europe and other countries and has a 100 percent mortality rate. Porcine circo virus-2 (PCV2) is strongly associated with the occurrence of postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) and usually occurs in nursing or young pigs (from 6 weeks of age onward); it also appears to have an association with porcine respiratory disease complex (PRDC) and occasionally with reproductive failure. PCV2-associated diseases have a 70 to 80 percent mortality rates in piglets.

Pig diseases can be monitored via oral fluids on cotton rope

• Giving pigs cotton ropes to chew on could be a more cost-effective and stress-free way for pig producers to monitor their herds for diseases like porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, according to a three-year research project.
  By taking oral fluid samples from the rope, pig producers and veterinarians can assess the health status of their animal in a non-invasive way, Lorna Dawson, a PhD. student involved in a research project sponsored by the British Pig Executive (BPEX).
  “By collecting oral fluid samples I could screen more animals than was physically possible when carrying out blood sampling,” Dawson told Farmers Weekly.
  Sample collection was performed by suspending a cotton rope over a pen for the pigs to chew, using methods that were initially established at Iowa State University.
  Deposited oral fluid samples were then checked for specific disease markers such as viral RNA and antibodies, allowing the early diagnosis of specific diseases at the subclinical or clinical stage.
  “This suggests that the use of oral fluid is potentially a feasible, low cost, non-invasive way to assess the disease status in pig populations,” said Dawson.
  Dawson added that this non-invasive way of testing is better from an animal welfare perspective.

PEDv, ASF hinder global pork supply, Rabobank reports

Pork shortages will be a key concern in many countries in 2014, as the ongoing spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus in the North America and Asia will have a significant impact on pork supplies during the summer of 2014 and beyond, according to the Rabobank Pork Quarterly Q2 report. Exacerbating tight global supply is Russia's ban on EU pork imports in response to recent African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks.
"PEDv has been the driving force pushing up pork prices, especially in the U.S., to record highs," said Rabobank analyst Albert Vernooij. "U.S. futures climbed 30 percent in Q1 and are up 45 percent over last year, impacting pork users and consumer's ability to source enough pork for their needs."
The Rabobank report states the outbreak of PED virus in the U.S., Mexico, Japan and South Korea will lead to a likely decline in global pork production in 2014. In the U.S., where the PED virus outbreak has been most severe, Rabobank estimates that pork production could decline 6-7 percent in 2014 due to hog losses from PED virus.
Rabobank points out that it has been difficult to determine the impact of PED virus on global pig production, because until late April, the USDA did not require PED virus cases to be reported. The impact of PED virus in Asia, especially in Japan and South Korea, is also difficult to estimate as the spread of the disease is not known.
African swine fever’s impact on pork markets
In addition to pork price hikes brought on by PED virus losses, Russia has seen pork prices increase since it implemented a ban on pork imports from the EU. The ban on EU pork followed the discovery of ASF in wild boars in Poland and Lithuania. With the ban comes a loss of 1.3 million metric of pork imports, about one third of Russia's total import volume in 2013. This has resulted in short supply and higher prices in Russia, but with North America expected to feel the impact of PED virus for the remainder of 2014, Rabobank foresees Russia will have few alternatives to fill the void left by the EU.
Oversupply in China eases some stress on markets
An oversupply in the pork industry in China, driven by high sow liquidation, is offering some relief to global pork shortages. China is the world’s largest pork producer and consumer.
Rabobank believes that Chinese pork prices will continue to fall in the second and third quarters of 2014, and the continued sow liquidation should help Chinese pork prices recover by the end of the third quarter in line with the seasonal increase of China's pork consumption.

Pig transport process a source of PED virus transmission

Environmental samples from trailers in which pigs had been transported uncovered porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus in 5.2 percent of trailers not contaminated at arrival, suggesting that the transport process is a source of transmission if adequate hygiene measures are not implemented, according to a recent university study.
The objective of the study was to assess the risks that harvest facilities and transport vehicles engendered in promoting the initial outbreak of a novel disease organism by estimating the incidence of trailer contamination with the PED virus during the unloading process at harvest facilities. Environmental samples were collected from 575 livestock trailers before and after the pigs were unloaded into holding pens at six harvest facilities (83-102 trailers per facility) located in the central U.S. Samples were collected during a period of 2-3 days at each facility.
Contamination during unloading
According to the study, before unloading, 38 (6.6 percent) of the 575 trailers were contaminated with the PED virus. The proportion of contaminated trailers ranged from 2 percent to 14.6 percent among the 6 harvest facilities; the facility level median was 5.0 percent. Of the remaining 537, 28 (5.2 percent) that were not contaminated at arrival were contaminated in the unloading process. Of the 38 trailers that were contaminated on arrival, environmental samples from 13 (34.2 percent) were negative for the PED virus after unloading.
Contamination during unloading occurred at a higher rate if harvest facility staff entered the trailer or if unloading occurred immediately after unloading another trailer that was found to be contaminated.
Control measures
The results of this study suggest that proactive disease control measures should include improved sanitation, hygiene and segregation practices at collection points to limit the spread of the agent early in the outbreak. Simple measures such as limiting contact between drivers and the collection point and requiring drivers to remain on trucks and out of the collection point during the unloading process may have a dramatic effect on limiting the transmission of novel agents.

BIVI presents 2014 PRRS research awards

Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (BIVI), announced the 2014 recipients of its annual PRRS research awards at the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Conference in Dallas.  For more than a decade, BIVI has offered the research awards in an effort to provide practical approaches to the management of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
BIVI in 2014 awarded $75,000 to support three separate studies by independent swine disease researchers and practitioners in their investigations of novel ways to diagnose, control and eliminate PRRS. The selected PRRS studies focus on three important areas of disease research: the effect of maternal PRRS immunity in pigs vaccinated with PRRS MLV vaccine and subsequently challenged with a heterologous PRRSV; and helping veterinarians and producers differentiate new PRRS virus incursions from resident strains; and improving oral fluid diagnostics.
From the many PRRS research proposals submitted for the 2014 awards consideration, the three following recipients were selected and their research proposals were recognized at the March AASV Conference:


• Brad Leuwerke, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minn. - Effect of maternal PRRS immunity on the response of pigs to vaccination with a homologous modified-live vaccine and subsequent response to heterologous PRRS virus challenge.
• Andres Perez, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. - Differentiating new PRRS virus incursions from resident virus strains.
• Jeff Zimmerman, DVM, PhD, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa - Cleaning up oral fluid samples for improved diagnostics.
The three research proposals were selected based on established criteria that include potential for economic impact to the swine industry; originality and scientific quality; and probability of success in completing the study.
 "Longstanding research programs like the BIVI PRRS research awards do provide the practical, effective results that veterinarians can utilize to better diagnose, prevent and control PRRS," said incoming AASV President Michelle Sprague, DVM, with Audubon Manning Veterinary Clinic (AMVC) in Audubon, Iowa. "As a swine veterinarian, I see firsthand on swine farms the benefits these research programs provide."
The BIVI-sponsored PRRS research awards have been critical in the development of less costly, more reliable diagnostic testing and sampling processes, as well as identifying more effective biosecurity, risk assessment and vaccination strategies. Since the inception of the research awards program, the company has contributed $912,500 through the PRRS research awards to fund 37 separate research projects.
Proposal entries for the 2015 Advancement in PRRS Research Awards are due January 1, 2015.

No link found between blood plasma in feed, Canada PEDv cases

Scientific testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) cannot confirm a link between feed containing blood plasma and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv) cases in Canada.
As reported in February, the CFIA conducted a bioassay study on U.S.-origin porcine blood plasma used in feed pellets produced by Grand Valley Fortifiers.
The study demonstrated that the porcine blood plasma in question contained PEDv virus capable of causing disease in pigs. However, the study could not demonstrate that the feed pellets containing the blood plasma were capable of causing disease.
The CFIA will continue to analyze feed and feed ingredients, as well as epidemiological information gathered during the investigation, in order to verify that CFIA controls continue to protect Canadian livestock. In addition, the CFIA will examine any new lines of enquiry related to feed that may emerge, in particular from ongoing testing in Canada and the U.S.
In response to the positive test results in porcine blood plasma, the CFIA:

• Activated its National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to coordinate the feed investigation
• Followed up with farms that received the affected feed to confirm the voluntary withdrawal was effective
• Provided science-based guidance on disposing of potentially affected feed
• Worked closely with U.S. officials to confirm that none of the affected plasma was shipped to other pig feed manufacturers in Canada
• Led ongoing briefings with provincial and territorial Chief Veterinary Officers and key industry stakeholders
The CFIA's investigation also included sampling and testing of feed, plasma and other feed ingredients from various Canadian and U.S. sources associated with farms in Canada on which PEDv has been detected. All test results on these samples were negative for PEDv.

PEDV: lock your farm door

Cases of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) have been reported in the U.S. for less than a year. In this time, veterinarians have learned a lot about the disease but also have unanswered questions.
"What is known is this virus has a high mortality rate-up to 100 percent of very young animals die-and the virus is very stable, capable of remaining in an environment for weeks, which can lead to ongoing losses," said Dr. Mary Battrell, senior production swine veterinarian at Murphy-Brown LLC, at the VIV International Pork Production Summit Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus roundtable discussion held during the 2014 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE). The summit was sponsored by Dutch-based trade show organizers of VIV.
Although the method of transmission in not certain, it is clear that the virus is highly contagious.
"Basically, the bottom line is you need to lock your farm down. There's a lot of positive ways PEDV can get into a farm," Battrell said. "We need to put a lot of emphasis on biosecurity."
Dr. Matthew Turner of Prestage Farms pointed out that production is slow to recover following a wave of PEDV for a number of reasons. Although PED is similar in ways to transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE), PED is much harder to get rid of, and the production cycle can be affected for as long as several months. Because pigs shed enormous amounts of this highly infectious virus, it is difficult for sows to protect their young by passing on immunity. Also, abortions and reduced conception rates may be associated with a PEDV outbreak, sometimes caused when porcine reproductive and respiratory virus spreads at the same time.
In his presentation on the future of the U.S. pork sector in a global perspective, James Kenwood, managing director of Rabobank International, observed that pork is the leading globally consumed meat protein, with chicken catching up and beef fairly stable. He also noted that China is an important part of that calculus. It is the largest single protein-consuming market, and pork represents nearly 75 percent of all protein consumed. These numbers could add up to good news for the U.S., which has already benefitted from increased global pork demand, particularly if China follows the model of Japan.
"The outlook for the pork sector is based on understanding the value chain," Kenwood said, using Atlanta's blast of snowy weather to remind the audience that weather is one reason why the pork value chain is volatile and "not for the faint of heart."
Although early predictions call for 2014 to be a year of record profitability, anything from devaluation of the yen - which makes U.S. produced pork more expensive - to the spread of the PEDV could affect that forecast.
From a Chinese perspective, Ma Chuang, vice secretary general, Chinese Association of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine and partner, Boyar Communication Co., detailed some of the challenges and opportunities ahead. He shared that beef and mutton prices in China have soared, making pork a more affordable option for consumers who crave more protein in their diets. If beef production cannot meet this demand, then other sources will have an opening, including pork and poultry. Demand for poultry has also risen, although it was hit by the outbreak of H7N9 bird flu last year. Importation of pork and edible offal is also expected to grow.

Recovery of pig production after PEDV infection takes months

When a farm is hit by an outbreak of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), it can take months for production to return to regular levels. Dr. Matthew Turner, a veterinarian with Prestage Farms, discussed the difficulties pig producers have rebounding after a PEDV outbreak during a remote PEDV roundtable discussion hosted by WATT Global Media during the VIV International Pork Production Summit. The summit was held in conjunction with the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta on January 29.
PEDV is a similar virus to a more well-known porcine virus, transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGE). The methods used to treat and disinfect after an infection of the two viruses are also similar. However, the recovery process is far from similar, Turner said.
Historically, it has been relatively easy to get rid of TGEV, Turner said, and the odds of TGEV becoming endemic is rare. Conversely, it is difficult to get rid of PEDV and the odds of it becoming endemic is much more common. The showing of clinical signs during a TGEV recovery is rare, but it is common with PEDV, he added.
In a recent sampling of data obtained from 33 pig farms, it took an average of 14 weeks after a PEDV infection for the number of pigs weaned to return to normal production numbers. The sampling showed sows weaned about 10 piglets two weeks prior to a PEDV infection, but that number dropped to almost none the week of the infection. During the following three weeks, there were no pigs weaned, and it wasn't until the sixth week before weaning levels reached 60 percent of where they were before the PEDV infection.
"It takes about 14 weeks of production after the outbreak before a sow actually starts to wean the number of pigs she should be weaning," said Turner.
While weaning numbers may rebound around the time of the 14^th week after a PEDV infection, it actually takes even longer than that for production to fully recover. "We really don't ever come back to normal production through the full term for a sow farm," said Turner.
Producers are more vigilant after a PEDV outbreak, and abortions and reduced conception rates are more common. An aggressive quality control effort is made to make sure that farms that have experienced a PEDV outbreak don't spread the virus between litters, and they do not do any fostering.
"Those all add up to higher losses pre-wean losses than we normally would expect to see," Turner said.

Canadian pig industry learns of country’s first PEDV case

Dr. Doug MacDougald addresses porcine epidemic diarrhea virus while speaking at the Banff Pork Seminar.
Just before the Banff Pork Seminar's boar pit session kicked off on January 23 in Banff, Ontario, a bombshell had dropped - the first case of deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) had been confirmed in Canada. This topic understandably dominated the session, which is designed as an open-format, no-holds-barred, frank and interactive discussion of the hot issues in pork production.
Leading the session were three panelists: producer Claude Vielfaure , Dr. Doug MacDougald of SouthWest Ontario Veterinary Services, and economist Steve Meyer of Paragon Economics. Shannon Meyers of Fast Genetics served as the moderator.
Managing a potential crisis
PEDV has recently become a major problem for the U.S. pork industry. MacDougald has been at the forefront of Canada's effort to understand and rally support for precautions to limit PEDV risk. He provided an update based on the day's news.
"There's a 500 sow farrow-to-finish operation confirmed positive as of today," said MacDougald. "It's a closed herd. At this point there is no short-list of probable introductions of the virus. The direction today is containment. The direction is also to follow contacts on where people, supplies and equipment have gone. As of today and tomorrow, the focus is marshalling resources and doing extensive investigating. We will know 30 hours from now on at least the initial contacts to this farm if it has spread by those means or not."
There is no need to raise panic, he said. "There are a lot of misconceptions on the manner and speed of how this has spread in U.S. It may be acting like a supervirus, but folks, it's not. It's a coronavirus, there's good history and knowledge, and we know if it's handled right in most situations, the track record is sow herds can eliminate this in 90 to 100 days."
"The most important thing in a case like we've found today is put your arms around and contain it. That's what's happening now." More cases are likely and the industry is expected to enter a lock-down mentality to limit spread. Several participants noted the risk has been very high given the close interaction between the Canadian and U.S. industries, so while the news is not welcome, it is also not surprising.
The tone in the room reflected a resolve to make good decisions and work diligently to turn a challenging situation into a speed bump that will not derail a Canadian pork sector that has been looking very strong.

Swine dysentery outbreak reported in Yorkshire, UK

A swine dysentery outbreak has been reported in Yorkshire, UK. Control measures are in place, and BPEX is working to establish exactly which strains are involved to help with control of swine dysentery.
The disease is known to spread rapidly, particularly in cold weather. Swine dysentery can cause deteriorating health and eventually a loss of stock. Clinical signs affecting growing and finishing pigs include bloody diarrhea.
Producers affected are members of the Swine Dysentery Producers Charter. Anybody who would like to join the charter can contact BPEX.

Oral fluids help diagnose swine influenza

One possible tool to diagnose swine influenza is the analysis of oral fluids. "Although we have good evidence that swine influenza is widespread in the UK pig herd and that the disease affects production," says Nick Munce, pig business and technical manager at Merial Animal Health. "The symptoms may be sub-clinical, and producers may be unaware of the presence of the virus until such time as there is an actual outbreak that needs treating. A simple method that could be used to identify the presence of virus in the herd would be most welcome."
More should be done to encourage diagnosis of swine influenza, according to Munce.  "Vets are keen to explore a variety of options open to them for diagnosing the disease, and pig producers should be actively looking for symptoms and contacting their vets if they suspect that swine influenza is impacting the health and productivity of their herd."
Two papers presented at this year's 5th European Symposium of Porcine Health Management (ESPHM) in Edinburgh shed light on the use of the technique, which involves suspending a rope for the pigs to chew on, harvesting the oral fluids produced and then submitting them for laboratory analysis.
The first study¹ described a 130 farrow-to-finish operation in Brittany. Sows were displaying symptoms including anorexia, later or late abortions, early farrowings and weak new-born piglets. PRRS and PCV2 had both been eliminated. However, flu infection was evidenced in ill fatteners and, four days later, in weaned and suckling piglets. The research shows that 12mm ropes suspended in the pen for at least an hour every two days during weaning were a useful way of diagnosing the presence of swine influenza, although sub-typing was not possible.
Researchers in Spain have also used this technique successfully to detect PRRS and swine infl uenza on 97 farms where the pigs were experiencing respiratory signs, and fever, dullness, growth retardation or heterogeneity.² The study was able to successfully show which farms were positive for one or other of the diseases, for both, or for neither.
¹ Diagnosis of swine influenza virus in oral fluids samples in 20-day-old piglets: a field case. S. Turci (1), L. Mieli (2), G. Simon(3), S. Herve (3), J-B. Herin (4), B. Boivent (4), M. Bublot (5), F. Joisel (5), T. Vila (5), G. Perreul (4)
(1) Breizhpig, Plérin, France (2) LDA22, Ploufragan, France (3) ANSES, LNR Infl uenza Porcin, Ploufragan, France (4) MERIAL SAS, Ancenis, France (5) MERIAL SAS, Lyon, France
² Detection of the enzootic form of swine infl uenza by oral fl uid sampling. A. Callén (1), S. Cárceles (1),J. Gonzalez (1), A. Ferré (1), D. Arroyave (1), T. Vila (2), F. Joisel (2) (1) Merial Laboratorios S.A., Barcelona, Spain (2) Merial SAS, Lyon, France
(1) Merial Laboratorios S.A., Barcelona, Spain (2) Merial SAS, Lyon, France

First PEDV cases confirmed in Kentucky

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus has now been confirmed in Kentucky. Eighteen states now have had confirmed cases of PEDV.

Kentucky has had its first two confirmed cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), the National Animal Health Laboratory Network reported. PEDV, which was first discovered in the United States during the spring of 2013, has now been confirmed in 18 states.
According to the October 24 report from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN), which includes new cases between September 22 and October 19, Kentucky had one confirmed case of PEDV during the week of October 6 and another PEDV case during the week of October 13.
A total of 828 cases of the virus, which can have a 100 percent mortality rate with piglets and has no known cure, have been confirmed nationwide. Eleven of those confirmed cases have not been linked to any particular state.
Since NAHLN is a federal agency, it stopped collecting PEDV data during the furlough. However, the University of Minnesota Diagnostic Laboratory collected the data during the interim period.

Test to detect PEDV antibodies developed by Iowa State researchers

Veterinary researchers at Iowa State University have developed a new test to detect antibodies against Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV), a costly disease in pigs first confirmed in the United States in the spring of 2013. This is the first test available to U.S. veterinarians that can detect PEDV antibodies.
Previously, the virus could be detected only in acute cases while it was still reproducing and infecting a host pig. In such cases, the virus could be identified through the use of a test known as a polymerase chain reaction assay. But those tests could give a false negative if the pig had stopped shedding the disease or if shedding had become intermittent. The new test, called an immunofluorescence antibody or indirect fluorescent antibody assay and conducted using blood samples from pigs, will allow veterinarians and producers to know if a pig has ever had the disease in the past, whether it's shedding the virus.
"The new test gives practitioners and their clients a historical perspective," said Dr. John Johnson, a clinician in veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine. "It'll help them to understand if a particular animal has been exposed to the virus before. This tool, coupled with polymerase chain reaction results, will provide additional crucial information as veterinarians and their clientele assess the risk of moving a group of animals into a PEDV-negative population."
Dr. Kyoung-Jim Yoon, a professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, led the effort in developing the new test. The screening works by detecting the presence of PEDV antibodies in a blood sample. If the antibodies are present, then the pig in question has been exposed to the virus before, Yoon said.
The screening, available through the Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, costs $5.50 per sample and can be requested by local veterinarians.
"In order for this test to function, we must first have an isolated virus on hand," Yoon said. "For a long time, it's been difficult to isolate the virus in a cell culture, so there are a lot of tricks and manipulation we have to do to make this virus propagate in cell culture."
The test will be especially helpful to pork producers who are looking for replacement breeding stock, Johnson said. By performing the test, producers can know if an animal has been exposed to the virus in the past before they bring it onto their farms.
The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Library, identified the first U.S. cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus in early May. Since then, the diagnostic laboratory has helped to confirm cases of the disease in 17 states.
The virus was first diagnosed in 1971 in Britain, and Europe has experienced sporadic outbreaks in the years since, while the disease has become prevalent among pigs in Asia since 1982. PEDV infects only pigs and does not pose a threat to human health.
The primary symptom of the disease, which is spread through fecal matter, is severe diarrhea in pigs of all ages with high mortality in neonatal piglets. The most common sources of infectious feces are infected pigs, contaminated trucks, boots and clothing, making biosecurity measures on farms especially important to contain the spread of the disease. Hog producers who notice severe diarrhea among their herd should contact a veterinarian immediately.
Diagnosticians and clinicians in the ISU Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine and the Iowa Pork Industry Center are now working closely with producers and veterinarians to implement best practices to diagnose the disease in other herds and to minimize its impact and prevent its spread to uninfected herds, Yoon said.

Boehringer Ingelheim seeking PRRS research proposals

Boehringer Ingelheim is seeking porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) research proposals from pig veterinarians and researchers by January 1, 2014. PRRS costs US pig producers more than $664 million annually in lost production and collaborative scientific research continues to be the industry's best hope for finding new ways to mitigate this devastating disease.
For the past 11 years, Boehringer Ingelheim has contributed $75,000 annually through its Advancement in PRRS Research Award to fund three selected research studies.
"After more than 20 years, PRRS continues to be a major disease challenge for swine veterinarians and producers. While we still do not have all of the answers, we have learned a lot about the virus during this time, including how it is transmitted and how to better control it," says Michelle Sprague, DVM, president-elect of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. "I believe collaborative practical field research will provide valuable information and insight to help us achieve our goal of eradicating PRRS."
For its 2014 PRRS Research Award, the company is again seeking study proposals from swine veterinarians, diagnosticians and public and private veterinary researchers in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Selected research studies are designed to investigate new ways to diagnose, control and eradicate one of the world's most costly swine diseases.
Research Award recipients will be announced at the AASV annual meeting in Dallas, Texas next March. Proposals will be reviewed by an independent scientific board and awarded based on established criteria including potential economic impact to the swine industry, originality and scientific quality and probability of success in completing the year-long study.

PRRSV researchers disprove how the pig disease is spread

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) can inhibit pigs from reproducing and slow the growth of young pigs. Once pigs are infected, the only remedy is for hog farmers to cull their herds, which has cost farmers approximately $800 million annually.
A research team from the University of Missouri and Kansas State University has been working has disproved one way PRRSV spreads, which will help scientists narrow the search for an ultimate cure.
"Initially, scientists believed that PRRSV bound to a specific molecule, known as CD169, and infected white blood cells in the lungs," says Randall Prather, distinguished professor of reproductive biotechnology in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. "In our study, we've found that this is probably not how the virus is infecting pigs."
In the study, Prather genetically modified a litter of pigs so they would not generate the CD 169 molecule; therefore, the virus would have nothing to bind to and would be killed by the pigs' natural immune systems. However, after an initial test, the genetically modified pigs did become infected with PRRSV, negating the initial theory.
"While we didn't find what we were looking for, we did uncover important information about the infection," Prather said. "This information will help us narrow our search as we continue to fight this virus. We'll keep searching for answers until we determine how to stop PRRSV."
When pigs are infected with the disease, farmers must clean everything, Prather said. That means culling the herd, cleaning the barns and letting the pens sit empty until all viral material is killed. If that doesn't happen, the virus can continue infecting new groups of hogs. Farmers have had access to vaccines for the last two decades, but experts warn they are not the best tool to fight the disease.
"Vaccines have been shown to lessen the impact of the disease on farms, but they are not a good tool to control or eradicate the virus," said Raymond (Bob) Rowland, co-author of the study and professor of virology at the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine. "With this new information, we understand more about the mechanisms of this virus and how it acts once inside the pig's body."
Both Prather and Rowland agree that the study was only possible due to the collaboration of the scientists in their respective laboratories.
"To go and find these answers to the problems plaguing farmers, I need to find friends that have expertise in areas that I don't know anything about," Rowland said. "Randy Prather knows genes; I know viruses. Together, we can get a lot of work done very quickly."
The study, "An intact sialoadhesin (Sn/SIGLECI/CD169) is not required for attachment/internalization of the porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)," was recently published in the Journal of Virology. 

Canada releases porcine epidemic diarrhea strategy

The Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB) reports that its national strategy for dealing with Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) calls for diligence of all swine industry stakeholders.
As the cause of the PED outbreak detected in mid-May in the United States remains a mystery, the Canadian industry is taking proactive steps to help prevent its spread to Canada. The virus is an aggressive strain causing widespread watery diarrhea in all ages, leading to up to 100 percent mortality in nursing pigs. Other ages of pigs are affected as well, although not as severely as nursing pigs. Investigative teams in the US are working to establish the source of the outbreak, and it is hoped that detailed questionnaires from veterinarians in the US will provide answers as well.
This is the first time this disease has been seen in North America, and therefore the Canadian herd has no immunity against this virus.
Components of the national PED strategy include:
•Heightened Biosecurity: Good biosecurity is the key to stopping the spread of this disease, including ensuring that incoming animals are from healthy herds, all trucks and equipment are free of contamination, and knowing the quality and source of all incoming feed ingredients. Several technical bulletins and updates provide key information, and are available here.
•Effective Surveillance: Besides the important monitoring of herds through CSHIN, effective surveillance includes producers reporting any unusual signs of disease to their veterinarian, and also ensuring their veterinarian is participating in CSHIN.  Producers and veterinarians can find out more about CSHIN by contacting Dr. Chris Byra, CSHIN Manager at cbyra@shaw.ca.
•Keeping Up-to-Date: The CSHB provides a free daily electronic update on swine health news. Especially now, all industry stakeholders should be receiving this to ensure they have the latest news on PED. We cannot protect against what we do not know. Subscribe to CSHB News Updates at info@swinehealth.ca.
•Risk Analysis: While fundamental initiatives to address this threat are already in progress, a national risk analysis will provide key details on further protecting the Canadian herd. Some risk assessments for PED are already underway, and consistently addressing these factors on a national basis is critical. Issues to be considered include diagnostic testing and capacity and financial impacts for producers and the rest of the value chain.
•Control: An intervention strategy must be established so that a clear plan is in place, and can be immediately implemented, in the event of PED being found in Canada. Components of this plan include containment to prevent its spread and strategies to eliminate the disease.
This PED strategy will continue to be revised and enhanced as more information on the disease and its spread is learned. All Canadian swine industry stakeholders are encouraged to actively participate in this collaborative national strategy.