Washing Trucks Using Fresh Water Reduces Risk of PEDV Spread

CANADA - The producer services manager with Sask Pork says pork producers can reduce the risks of their herds becoming infected by Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus (PEDV) by paying close attention to the cleanliness of transport vehicles and ensuring those vehicles are washed with non-recycled water, according to Bruce Cochrane.
calendar icon 9 December 2013
clock icon 3 minute read

Although Canada has remained free of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, infection rates in the United States have increased with the onset of colder winter weather.

Harvey Wagner, the producer services manager with the Saskatchewan Pork Development Board, notes research conducted by the National Pork Board shows 11 per cent of trucks that deliver hogs to a processing plant where the virus is present will be contaminated when they leave the plant.

Harvey Wagner-Saskatchewan Pork Development Board

This virus spreads primarily through feces so any bit of manure that's on a transportation vehicle, on a pair of boots, on clothing can certainly infect a herd of pigs so the main means of mitigation is to wash and make sure that when their vehicle is washed that it's washed in a facility that does not recycle the water.

The PED virus, it doesn't take a lot of the virus to infect the pig.

It's actually quite extraordinary in that respect.

If you have a little bit of virus on one truck it can infect all the wash water in the truck wash that uses recycled water so make sure the truck washes are using fresh water.

Inspect that truck very carefully.

If possible have somebody, some third party inspect it at the truck wash before it comes to the farm and make sure it's absolutely clean.

If you have a sow farm, having that truck inspected and sealed before it comes to the farm would certainly be a valuable tool.

Mr Wagner says producers should always be vigilant and follow their normal biosecurity protocols carefully.

He says now is probably the riskiest time of the year for infection to happen.

Further Reading

Find out more information on PED by clicking here.

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