Special Report

Monitoring PEDv in Indiana

The Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus was first detected in Indiana this past May.  Dr. Matt Ackerman, with Swine Veterinarian Services says there hadn’t been a lot of cases around the state, but now that temperatures are dropping, there has been an uptick in reported cases in nursery and finishing houses.

He tells Brownfield farmers need to be extra cautious.  “Be sure to watch the biosecurity from outside the units,” he says.  “That includes brining in transportation trucks.  Make sure they are washed and disinfected prior to arriving at the unit and if manure hauling equipment moves from farm to farm, make sure we don’t track the virus around that way as well.”

One of the biggest concerns with PEDv, Ackerman says, is that we don’t know where it originated.  “The reality of it is that once we figured out it was a little bit of everywhere, by the time we had diagnosed our first case they found out on retrospective analysis it had been in 28 different cases, in 8 different states, already back in May,” he says.

Because the virus is still young, treatment options are limited.  He reminds producers that good biosecurity measures will keep the virus off their farm.

AUDIO: Matt Ackerman, Swine Veterinarian Services (2:20mp3)