PEDv. A bunch of letters, that by themselves are seemingly as innocent and nonthreatening as letters could be, but together, they form the abbreviation for Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus. Now, if you haven't heard about it yet, you've either been living under a rock, or are genuinely one of these non-tech folks that don't own a television, computer, smart phone, or any other 'new-fangled gadget'. Chances are however that you have heard about it, and probably either have a lot of questions, or have heard some misinformation. Here's what you should know:
Q: What is PEDv?
A: PEDv is a Type 1 Coronavirus, which means it's part of the coronavirus families known to often affect humans, pigs, dogs and cats.
Q: Can I catch it? Can my dog catch it? Can my cat catch it?
A: No. Tests by epidemiologists (fancy talk for disease-spread-experts) have indicated that this virus is not zoonotic (fancy talk for loving to infect a bunch of different species) in nature.
Q: Where did it come from?
A: PEDv is not new. PEDv has been around for over 40 years. It was first identified in Europe in the 1970's, but the strain they had was relatively mild. They wrestled with it all the way through the 1990's. By the late 1980's, it had spread to Asia, and during that period, morphed into a strand of the virus which was imported by the USDA's National Veterinary Services Laboratory. The idea was that they could research it, and develop a series of safeguards and possibly a vaccine should it ever make it to the United States. The US also began to prohibit the importation of pork and swine from countries known to have diseases, in hopes of preventing them from coming here. The US virus is 99.4% similar to the Asian version.
Q: Then why aren't we better prepared if we've had it this long?
A: PEDv is very hard to culture. It thrives in piggy guts, but in a lab, not so much. USDA-NVSL successfully managed to get it to grow, but when you've got diseases already here like TGE (Transmissible Gastro-Enteritis) and PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome), killing pigs in the moment, it's understandable that a disease that wasn't here would be put on the back burner.
Q: But is here now? Where?
A: PEDv has been detected in 25 states, Canada, Mexico and Peru. I have a partial list, but no one it seems has compiled a list of where these farms are located. It may be out of concern for safety for the producers, but it may also be due to the isolationist approach to vaccine/test/treatment development that often comes in the face of outbreaks such as this. Universities and pharmaceutical companies will keep their research close to breast to protect their work until they can patent and then distribute. The list I have so far, which is INCOMPLETE and will add to as I get information is:
Colorado
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Pennsylvania
Texas
Wisconsin
Q: What does PEDv do?
A: Inside a pig's gut are these little grassy fingers called villi. They sort of grab all the moisture and nutrients the body needs to survive and be healthy. PEDv is like a lawn mower, set on medium low setting. It mows over them, so they can't do their job. TGE is kind of like a lawnmower on ultra low setting. It gouges your lawn. PEDV just cuts it to 'putting green' length. As a result, pigs get watery diarrhea and vomiting. For full grown pigs, this is hard on their system, but they usually have fat stores and can weather through it with supportive care, such as fluids with electrolytes and good quality feeds. Piglets, however, don't have any fat. Every calorie they ingest goes immediately to growth, and so it's almost always 100% fatal to litters.
Q: How will this affect me?
A: Now that's the billion dollar question. $1.8 billion dollars in income to be exact. Pork is the number 1 consumed meat in the world, with people consuming more than 100 million metric tons of it. The United States is the third largest producer of pork, behind China (1st) and the European Union (2nd). The United States pork exports are over $6.3 billion dollars, and for every $1 billion dollars exported, it supports approximately 17,200 jobs. Our pork exports account for $10.6 billion dollars in agricultural output. All in all, this is a big deal, as producers across the country are having to face the very real possibility of bankruptcy. Governors of Midwestern states are even discussing the possibility of declaring States of Emergency, and are pushing for the allocation of Disaster Relief funds. Naturally, it's not unreasonable to expect pork prices to sky rocket in the coming year, with next year's pork essentially dying at birth.
Q: What can I do?
A: Well, there are several things you can do.
As a consumer -- You can understand that while this is a crisis, pork is SAFE TO EAT. You cannot catch it, and you cannot spread it by eating it. Please don't stop buying pork. Also, if you are keen on local foods, don't insist on visiting farms, and if you do want to visit where your food is being purchased from, visit only 1 farm. Don't 'farm-hop'. Even if you change your shoes, shower, etc., the dirt carried on your tires from farm to farm is enough to spread it, and ruin your sources.
As a swine enthusiast and competitor -- Consider this year buying in-state, especially if your state does not yet have PEDv. Buy from a single source. Don't 'farm-hop'. We all can appreciate competition and know that buying the best increases your odds of winning, but winning really, honestly, isn't everything. Consider not participating in non-terminal shows, like county shows, and purebred events. Shows and functions where your pig is around other pigs is just an accident waiting to happen, as the virus piggy backs its way to your farm. Avoid auctions, livestock shows and events. Practice solid BioSecurity Protocol. Limit farm visitors. Source local feeds that are free from pork meals and proteins. Require people to wear PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) gear, and to use disinfectant foot baths, and if they refuse, don't let them on your property. Encourage your State Extension offices to reconsider non-terminal shows, and communal tagging events. Understand that even if your pig had it as a juvenile and survived, there's a good chance they will never grow fast enough to make weight. Do not purchase from farms that have had or suspect they have PEDv.
As a swine producer -- BioSecurity, BioSecurity, BioSecurity. Swine-ID protocols, travel logs, good medical records, and good observational records. If we all keep our heads down, and hold out long enough, we might be able to weather this storm long enough until a vaccine is developed.
PEDv is a terrifying and harsh virus that isn't going away any time soon. We all need to support our peers in their efforts to strengthen their BioSecurity practices, and do our best to stave the spread of this terrible disease. I'd like to thank Dr. David Farnum from True North Technologies (http://goinshowin.com/trueglo.html), Dr. Sherri Clark of Virginia Tech's Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/org/dlacs/), Bryn Poliska-Jennson with the National Pork Board (http://www.pork.org), and Dr. Barrett Slenning with the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Population Health and Pathobiology (http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/dphp/).
No comments:
Post a Comment