HENDERSONVILLE, TENN. (RFD-TV) — The National Pork Board is working with industry partners and state pork organizations to develop a coordinated approach to eliminating porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) from the U.S. swine herd.
PEDV first entered the United States in the spring of 2013 and quickly became a major concern for the pork industry.
Dr. Marisa Rotolo, director of swine health with the National Pork Board, joined Market Day Report to discuss state-led pilot programs, years of disease surveillance, and how the industry hopes to move from managing PEDV outbreaks to eliminating the disease.
PEDV Remains a Concern for Pork Producers
In her interview with RFD-TV, Rotolo said the virus primarily affects young pigs and can cause severe diarrhea and high mortality, making it a devastating disease for affected farms.
She said the industry has made significant progress in managing the disease since its introduction, including shortening outbreaks and improving biosecurity practices.
National Swine Health Strategy Sets Priorities
The PEDV elimination effort is part of the producer-led National Swine Health Strategy, which identifies two primary goals: reducing the impact of domestic diseases and keeping foreign and emerging diseases out of the U.S. swine herd.
The strategy also identifies five priorities, including PEDV elimination, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) elimination, reducing disease spread, improving animal disease prevention and preparedness, and monitoring emerging diseases.
Rotolo said the strategy provides a coordinated framework for advancing swine health across the industry.
State-Led Pilots Test Elimination Framework
The National Pork Board is working with partners in Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Kentucky to test the early phases of a PEDV elimination framework developed through the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.
The framework includes five phases, beginning with standardized PEDV health certification and efforts to reduce the virus in finishing herds. It then progresses to regional collaboration, state-level coordination and, ultimately, national collaboration.
Rotolo said the pilot programs will help determine how the framework works in practice and identify the research, education and other resources producers need.
She said collaboration among producers, veterinarians and industry organizations will be essential to making progress toward elimination.
Surveillance Helps Identify Effective Practices
Years of disease surveillance have helped the industry better understand PEDV and respond to outbreaks.
Rotolo said those efforts have helped shorten outbreak duration and strengthen biosecurity practices on farms.
She credited the industry’s willingness to work together and share information with advancing swine health.
“We have an incredibly innovative industry,” Rotolo said. “We all work well together with the goal of advancing swine health.”
The pilot programs will build on that foundation by measuring PEDV prevalence and identifying practices that may help reduce or eliminate the virus in participating areas.
Measuring Progress Toward Elimination
Rotolo said the pilot programs are intended to test the framework and help determine what resources will be needed for broader implementation.
A key measure of success will be changes in PEDV prevalence, or how widespread the disease remains in participating areas.
The findings could help other states develop their own approaches and provide a foundation for wider industry efforts to eliminate the virus.
Rotolo said she is encouraged by the industry’s progress and the collaboration advancing the effort.
LEARN MORE: pork.org
