The Canadian Food Inspection Agency at the Ministry of Agriculture and Agri-Food sent an Immediate Report dated 25 April to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).

It outlines a total of 58 outbreak clusters, the first being in Ontario on 22 January. A total of 54 outbreaks have occurred in that province.

In addition, there has been one outbreak in Prince Edward Island (on 14 February), two in Manitoba on the same date and one in Quebec on 23 February.

Only the outbreak in Quebec is described as resolved; the others are ongoing.

The report adds that PED is not a federally reportable disease but Canada has a Canadian Animal Health Surveillance Network that has been used to monitor and report on the situation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) supports the investigation led by the provinces and has confirmed the outbreaks in each of the affected provinces. The disease is now reportable in some provinces, including Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec.

Canada advised the OIE on 5 February 2014 that Canada was experiencing cases of PED. Canada has so far experienced four outbreaks (of which two are clusters) of PEDv in four provinces with a total of 58 farms affected.

The first suspected case of PED in Canada was reported at a hog farm in south-western Ontario on 22 January 2014, which was confirmed by the CFIA on 24 January 2014. The breakdown of the 58 outbreaks of PED on swine farms are 54 in Ontario, one confirmed outbreak each Prince Edward Island (PEI) and Quebec and two outbreaks in Manitoba.

The latest cases were reported in Ontario on 22 April 2014. Outbreak information included in this report was provided to the CFIA by provincial animal health authorities.

Clinical signs observed include diarrhoea, vomiting, anorexia; they were more severe in younger pigs. Mortality was also observed in young piglets.

Sequencing of the PEDv strain from cases on farms in Canada has confirmed that they are similar to the strains circulating in the United States.

Canada continues to implement control and prevention measures to reduce the risk of spread of this disease. These include the implementation of strict biosecurity measures at the farm, cleaning and disinfection of trucks, and enhanced controls at the border. In addition, Canada continues to collect and integrate epidemiological information to better understand the risk factors for the introduction and spread of this virus. CFIA has import policies already in place to mitigate the risk of introduction of communicable swine diseases into Canada.

Canada has considered the risk factors associated with PEDv transmission and the information can be found on the CFIA web site.