On 7 January 2019, the first case of PED was reported in Alberta.

Dr Julia Keenliside, a veterinary epidemiologist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, reports the source of infection is still unidentified.

Dr Keenliside said: "We've been investigating all of the well known sources of infection that have occurred in previous cases, such as transportation, feed and visitors but to date, all of the transportation links to slaughter, assembly yards and truck washes, all our sampling has come back negative.

"All environmental samples have been negative to date and we've done tracebacks to all of the sites, and we've not come up with any obvious links to any positive cases.

"We've looked at any possible contact with Manitoba or the US and we have not found anything there.

"We also have enhanced environmental sampling in place at all of our high traffic pigs sites around Alberta and these test results have also come back negative so far.

"The operation reacted very quickly and has worked closely with their farm veterinarian.

"They implemented enhanced biosecurity around the barn fairly quickly as well as traffic control and traffic re-routing on an off of the premises.

"So far we believe that no other operations have been exposed and no other operations have contracted the infection since.

"We are still limited to a single case and no pigs have left the premises since the diagnosis was made."

Dr Keenliside says a cleanup plan is being developed and several options are being considered, including where to market the animals to keep the risks low.

She says it is too soon estimate a time frame but experience in Ontario and Manitoba has shown it takes several weeks or more to clean up and eliminate infection.

As reported by Bruce Cochrane for Farmscape.ca