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Research continues to prevent spread of viruses through feed

Research continues on how to prevent swine viruses from spreading through feed.

The research, which is being conducted by Dr. Scott Dee with Pipestone Veterinary Services in Minnesota and others, has concluded most animal viruses are transmittable through feed. The next step, Dee says, is figuring out what to do about it.

“We’re looking at what can we add to the feed. What are certain additives that are safe, obviously, to consume, that don’t have harmful effects on the nutrient density, but do reduce viral load and reduce virus survival,” Dee says.

Five additives that reduce virus survival have been identified in the laboratory and are now be tested under controlled field conditions, he says.

“We’re going to test them with large groups of pigs and large volumes of feed that are treated or not—then spiked with one of these viruses and fed to pigs—and see what happens.”

Dee says he’s convinced that PEDv came into the U.S. through contaminated feed from another country, possibly China, and he’s working to prevent that from happening again.

Dee spoke with Brownfield at the recent Animal Health in the Heartland Symposium in Lincoln, Nebraska.

AUDIO: Dr. Scott Dee