An eight-member funding group has provided $650,000 for further research in to the deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.
Genome Alberta, the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency, Genome Canada, Ontario Agriculture, Sask-atchewan Agriculture, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Ontario Genomics Institute and Genome Quebec announced three new research projects Feb. 10.
One project involves development of a modified live virus vaccine using reverse genetics and will be led by VIDO-Intervac at the University of Saskatchewan.
A second project will examine enhanced molecular diagnosis and genetic resistance to PED. The U of S and national centres for animal disease are handling that project.
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The third project will research the use of molecules and polymerase chain reaction assays to find the difference between infectious and non-infectious PED particles.
The veterinary medicine faculty at the University of Montreal will lead that project.
More than 70 outbreaks of PED have occurred in Canadian hog barns since January 2014, most of them in Ontario. The virus is almost always fatal to young piglets.
The United States has been battling the virus since April 2013, and an estimated eight million pigs have died from PED since then.
“Genome Alberta saw a way for genomics to be used to respond to the threat and decided to put together a plan and find the necessary funding,” said a Genome Alberta news release.
“The resulting collaboration is good news for PEDv research and for the pork industry.”
