Ontario farms have stopped movement of swine after more locations were diagnosed with porcine epidemic diarrhea.
Ontario ministry of agriculture reports sampling has confirmed the virus at an assembly yard, a trucking yard and a processing plant. It has also been confirmed at four farms in southern Ontario.
The ministry says its spread to further locations was not unexpected, considering the extreme virulence of the disease. Producers are advised to maintain strict biosecurity measures and should contact their veterinarian immediately if animals show any signs of illness.
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Options for orderly movement of animals from farms to processors are being discussed with producers and plants.
More sampling is underway as suspected cases grow and more surveillance for PED is being conducted at plants and assembly yards and trucks going to and from the United States and now within Ontario.
Ontario Pork is advising producers to take extra biosecurity steps and establish a responsible way to handle mortalities.
Producers seeking practical information about the disease and precautions may visit http://www.pork.org/filelibrary/PEDfsBook final1.pdf or http://www.opic.on.ca/oshab-overview.
