Special Report
Pork producers invest in heading off PEDV
Pork producers are investing well over a half-million dollars from the Pork Checkoff and from The Iowa Pork Producers Association to get to the bottom of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV). The pork industry is dedicating $527,000 to help get answers as quickly as possible about PEDV.
“One of the first things we’re going to be doing with this supplemental money is supporting that effort to try to identify where this virus came from initially,” said Dr. Paul Sundberg, vice president of science and technology for the National Pork Board.
Although there are still many things to learn about PEDV, Sundberg says there are many things known.
“It’s in other countries right now, so it’s not a new virus,” said Sundberg, “second thing is, it is not a food safety issue at all; this is a production virus, a TGE-like virus. The third thing is, not only is it not a food safety issue, but it’s not a zoonotic issue; it’s no risk to people either through food or direct contact.”
Mortality is highest among pigs under 7 days old, older pigs tend to recover. The ailment is too new to the U.S. to have developed precise loss numbers.
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