DES MOINES, Iowa (RFD News) — USDA is continuing to work with agriculture leaders in Iowa and Texas after pseudorabies was confirmed in both states.
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig says no additional cases have been detected in Iowa beyond five boars connected to a Texas facility where more pigs also tested positive. He says there is currently no indication the virus has spread further and that the state is moving quickly to contain the situation.
“We are required under program standards to depopulate that positive site, that one positive site in the state of Iowa. And we will be doing that here very quickly. And then those pigs, those animals, will be disposed of onsite through incineration as well. Again, out of an abundance of caution, keeping all that material on that site for disposal.”
Naig says the Iowa Department of Agriculture and the state veterinarian’s office are also conducting additional surveillance around the affected site as part of the response process.
“Again, program standards require that, in addition to dealing with the site, we also conduct surveillance around the site. So there is a five-mile radius circle that is drawn around the positive site,” Naig explains. “Swine facilities within that five-mile radius circle will need to do testing for pseudorabies, and they’ll need to do that within the next 15 days. “
He says the surveillance process will continue even after the initial cleanup is complete.
“Then there’s another circle drawn around a two-mile radius around the site, and 30 days after cleanup is finalized on the site, those sites will have to test a second time,” Naig continues. “Every producer that’s in that circle has been contacted by our office. So we are working very quickly to, again, comply with all the regulations and standards around this, quickly to stamp out, clean the site, and remain disease-free.”
Naig adds that the detection does not pose a risk to consumer health and does not impact the safety of the commercial pork supply. However, he notes there could be some short-term impacts on U.S. swine exports as the investigation continues.
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