A case of porcine epidemic diarrhea was confirmed Sept. 19 on a farm in southeastern Manitoba. It is the first case of the deadly virus found in Canada since July 23.
The farm is the third in Manitoba to have been infected. The other two cases were confirmed May 9 and Feb. 14, also in the southeastern part of the province.
Ontario has had 63 cases and there has been one each in Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
Manitoba Pork reported that the case is on a sow farm. It encouraged heightened biosecurity, careful and extensive washing of trucks and trailers and the use of disposable boot covers at sites with a high risk of spread.
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“We need to assume that all high pig-traffic sites, especially those with frequent U.S. contact, are contaminated with the virus. Make sure to practice extreme caution when visiting these sites.”
An Alberta Pork news release said the pigs were infected at the farm site and source farms remain free of PED.
“Combined with the continuing spread of PED in the United States, which reported 68 new cases last week for a total of 8,386 cases in 31 states, these developments underscore the importance of staying vigilant at all times with biosecurity practices,” the release said.
PED is almost always fatal to young piglets, but older animals can survive infection. It is a production limiting disease that has drastically reduced hog numbers in the United States since it was found in that country this spring.
The virus does not affect people.
