Special Report
Search for answers on PEDv continues
As the number of reported cases of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) continues to grow, the pork industry continues looking for ways to slow the spread of the disease of pigs.
Dr. Lisa Becton of the National Pork Board says they have made some progress.
“We’re doing a lot of research and we’ve had a lot of really good results here the tail end of 2013, and then looking to 2014,” Becton says. “We’ve learned a lot of basics about the virus, that it does withstand colder weather, but that it can be killed at certain temperatures and time combinations.”
Becton says they are also trying to gain a better understanding of how sow immunity is built.
“Because if we can really get a handle on that and understand that, then we can more quickly confer protection to her baby pigs,” she says, “and other things like vaccines—looking at how those can be developed and move on from there.”
In the meantime, the Pork Board continues to stress the importance of strict biosecurity measures in preventing the spread of the disease.
PEDv does not represent a threat to human health or food safety.
AUDIO: Dr. Lisa Becton (7:00 MP3)
This virus not withstanding cold raises an interesting question about using cold to clean infected barns and trucks. could use of liquid carbon dioxide on the surface kill the virus?