The cause of the recent rapid spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) across the United States has not yet been identified with certainty but veterinarians and officials are investigating transportation as a major factor. There hasn’t been a better time than now to take a look at the data in PADRAP to get a feel for what producers with 2.13 million sows (approximately 36.8% of the US national inventory) have been doing to try to keep transmission of diseases to a minimum. We decided to focus on the breeding herd since PEDV most severely affects young pigs with mortality often ranging from 30 to 100% in suckling and early weaned pigs in na�ve herds.
Monthly Archives: July 2013
Wagstrom Elected to AVMA Council
The American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Public Health and Regulatory Veterinary Medicine (CPHRVM) has three new members including Dr. Elizabeth Wagstrom, AASV member and a graduate of Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was elected to the CPHRVM as an at-large member. She is the chief veterinarian for the National Pork Producers Council, has a M.S. in veterinary preventive medicine, and is board certified by the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. Dr. Wagstrom will serve a three year term ending in August 2016.
Preliminary Analysis of PED Epidemiologic Survey
Survey data were collected by AASV veterinarians associated with swine herds affected by PED. Veterinarians were requested to complete questionnaires for case and control herds. Control herd data were proposed to be matched with case herds on certain characteristics. The final data was submitted to USDAâs Center for Epidemiology and Animal Health (CEAH) through a link created by the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense at Texas A&M. CEAH conducted the following analysis. Data on the full population affected by the outbreak were not available, so an evaluation of the representativeness of the sample is not possible.
Providing Supplemental Milk to Piglets Preweaning Improves the Growth but Not Survival of Gilt Progeny Compared with Sow Progeny
Gilt progeny have lighter weaning weights and greater postweaning medication and mortality rates compared with the progeny of older parity sows. Because weaning weight has been positively correlated with postweaning survival, this study aimed to determine whether the provision of supplemental milk preweaning could improve weaning weight and subsequent weights as well as postweaning survival of gilt progeny. The study was replicated in summer and winter as the effects of supplemental milk were expected to vary with season. The progeny of 80 gilts (parity 0) and 80 sows (parity 2 to 5) were allocated to both treatments: with or without supplemental milk in these 2 seasons with 5 sheds/season. Litter size was standardized (10 to 11 piglets) and each piglet was weighed at birth, d 21, weaning (4 wk), and 10 wk of age. Medications and mortalities were recorded both preweaning and postweaning. Pigs were housed within treatment groups postweaning, and ADFI and G:F were measured. Gilt progeny were 200 g lighter at birth in both replicates (P < 0.001) and were 500 g lighter at weaning in the winter replicate (P < 0.05) compared with sow progeny. The provision of supplemental milk improved weaning weight for both gilt and sow progeny by 800 g in summer (P < 0.05) and by 350 g in winter (P < 0.05). This improvement in weaning weight had no effect on the incidence of death or disease in milk-supplemented progeny of either gilts or sows (P > 0.05). Supplemental milk disappearance (the daily difference between the volume of milk provided and the residue left in the drinker) was greater in summer than winter (by 130 mL/piglet d(-1); P < 0.05) as were the associated weaning weight benefits. The weaning weights of supplemented gilt progeny reached or exceeded that of nonsupplemented sow progeny. Gilt progeny had greater postweaning mortality (2.6%) and medication rates (6.2%) than sow progeny (1 and 2.2%, respectively; both P < 0.05) in both seasons, but medication rates were greater in winter (7.2%) for both treatment groups than in summer (1.9%; P < 0.05). Gilt progeny also had less postweaning ADFI than sow progeny in winter (528 and 636 g, respectively; P < 0.05) with no dam parity effect on G:F (both P > 0.05). The hypothesis that supplemental milk provision did increase gilt progeny weaning weight was supported (especially in summer) but the supplementation had no effect on postweaning weights and survival. Efforts to improve gilt progeny postweaning growth and survival need to be aimed at improving health and immunity, not just weaning weight.
PRRS Corner: Epidemiological Study of Air Filtration Systems for Preventing PRRSV Infection in Large Sow Herds
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the most economically significant pathogen in the US swine industry. Aerosol transmission among herds is a major concern in pig dense regions and filtration of incoming air, in combination with standard biosecurity procedures, has been demonstrated to prevent transmission of PRRSV into susceptible herds. To quantify the impact of air filtration on reducing risk of PRRSV outbreaks, we compared the incidence rate of new PRRSV introductions in 20 filtered and 17 non-filtered control sow herds in a swine dense region of North America during a 7 year study period. Events of novel virus introduction were ascertained by phylogenetic analysis of PRRSV ORF5 gene sequences. Putative new viruses were defined as exogenous (introduced) based on ORF5 nucleotide sequence differences compared to previous farm isolates. The influence of sequence difference cut-off values ranging from 2 to 10% on case definition and relative risk were evaluated. Non-filtered farms incurred about 0.5 outbreaks per year, with a seasonal increase in risk in cooler periods. Baseline risk, prior to filtration, in treatment farms was approximately 0.75 per year, approximately 50% higher than in control farms. Air filtration significantly reduced risk of PRRSV introduction events to 0.06â0.22 outbreaks per year, depending on the cut-off values used to classify a virus isolate as new to the herd. Overall, air filtration led to an approximately 80% reduction in risk of introduction of novel PRRSV, indicating that on large sow farms with good biosecurity in swine-dense regions, approximately four-fifths of PRRSV outbreaks may be attributable to aerosol transmission.
Survey Shows Feral Wild Boar Present in 110 of 296 Saskatchewan RMs
Research conducted by the University of Saskatchewan shows populations of feral wild boar are now present in over a third of the province’s rural municipalities.
Prairie Swine Centre Annual Research Report Released
Meeting the needs of the commercial pork value chain with new information that — reduces the cost of production, improves product quality, speaks to worker health and safety, environmental impact, and addresses practical behaviour and welfare questions â the 2012-2013 edition of the Annual Research Report provides insights into solutions on a wide range of industry challenges and opportunities. At 52 pages, this edition includes 14 scientific articles, plus updates on activity in our pig production unit and technology transfer activities for the calendar year 2012. http://www.prairieswine.com/2012-2013-psc-annual-report-now-on-line/
REMINDER: CRWAD Call for Abstracts Announcement
The 2013 CRWAD Meeting will be held December 8 – 10, at the Chicago Marriott, Downtown Magnificent Mile, Chicago, Illinois. The meeting will begin with the Researchers Reception, Sunday evening. The first poster session will coincide with the Researchers Reception. Presentations will conclude by 1 pm Tuesday afternoon, December 10.
Ohio has PEDV Contingency Plan for Fairs and Exhibitions
While the risk of the PED virus breaking at the Ohio State Fair or a County Fair is small, State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Forshey says it’s important to have a transparent contingency plan in place that will deal with the situation should it occur.
Checkoff Summer Webinars
To get the latest information and insight about todayâs sow-housing options, register for the 2013 Pork Checkoff Sow Housing Webinar series at pork.org/sowhousing. Webinars start at 1 p.m. (CT), the free, 45-minute webinars will feature top experts discussing: Sow Lameness: Detection, Treatment & Prevention Locke Karriker, Iowa State University July 30Gestation Stall Design John McGlone, Texas Tech University Aug 1