It was one year ago that the first cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea were confirmed in Canada.

Since then the infection has affected an estimated two per cent of the Canadian sow herd compared to the US experience where between 50 and 70 per cent of the sow inventory has been affected.

Dr Doug Mac Dougald, with Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services, told those on hand yesterday for the Banff Pork Seminar, efforts to rid Canadian farms of the infection have been highly effective.

Dr Doug Mac Dougald-Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services:

We estimate that over 90 per cent of the sites that have either been primary cases or secondarily contaminated with pig movement have either been now successfully eliminated or are in the process.

Key factors in the sow herds are attention to piglet management, sanitation, immunization and not having that virus move around.

For the nursery or finisher sites just detailed wash, disinfect, dry has been highly effective.
We've had almost no failures.

I think PED has given us a glimpse of how a collaborative industry with a new emerging disease can work together and be successful on containment and elimination.

I think it provides a blueprint and has pushed forward the vision of strong regional organizations working under a national umbrella for a Canadian swine health strategy.

Dr Mac Dougald warns as a country that exports over 70 per cent of its product we are the highest risk nation in the world for any trade limiting disease.

He suggests, if we can use PED as the lever for building a more robust national swine health strategy, we'll be better prepared for the next emerging disease that occurs in Canada.