Quebec PED Risk Analysis Shows Cost Could Hit Millions

CANADA - An analysis of the risks associated with PED to Quebec's pork industry shows the infection could cost up to C$40 million in the first year, according to Bruce Cochrane.
calendar icon 28 February 2014
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CDPQ, the Swine Development and Innovation Centre in Quebec, in partnership with the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Quebec's Swine Health Advisory Board and Quebec's Pork Producers Council has conducted a risk analysis of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea in Quebec, developed strategies to minimize those risks and identify potential costs.

The analysis which was conducted in response to a new infection circulating through the US identified nine key risks including trucks coming from and going to the US, importation of live animals from the US or other provinces, cull animals going to the US and the barns where that are assembled, importation of semen from the US and feed.

Dr Christian Klopsenstein, a veterinarian with a PhD in epidemiology responsible for swine health management with CDPQ, notes a simulation of the spread of PED in Quebec assumed a similar spread as that which occurred in the US.

Dr Christian Klopsenstein-CDPQ

Since the PED is mainly affecting piglets, there's a delay of 200 to 250 days between the first appearance of clinical signs in sow units and a real impact you can measure in terms of pigs that are being slaughtered so it clearly showed the impact it could have in Quebec if it came in in the same way it came into the US.

We are not 100 per cent sure that we are going to be hit as hard or we hope that Canada is not going to be hit as hard as the US has been.

When we made the simulation here we assumed we could be hit as hard as the US has been and, if the hit was as hard as in the US it could cost us C$40 million in the first year after the first case has been reported.

Dr Klopsenstein notes the full 60-page report can be found at CDPQ.Ca. The report is only available in French.

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