Page 2 of articles about Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea in Articles

The current situation for PED is that of continual occurrence of moderate to severe outbreaks in many pig farms, across Asia, USA and elsewhere, on both naïve farms and those that have suffered previous episodes.

In May 2013 a sow farm in Indiana (USA) broke with PEDv. In mid March 2014, scour were observed in the onsite nursery and finisher. In the subsequent week, PEDv was diagnosed of the same strain (99.9 % homology) and the virus moved into the farrowing house.

The main aspect that cannot be forgotten is the complete approach necessary to evaluate all possibilities. In that sense, samples have to be collected and tested to all possible agents that might cause diarrhea.

The ideal sample for diagnostic of neonatal enteric pathogens is the submission of live piglets.

We hear a lot of talk about optimizing profitability in grow-finish through reducing standard deviation of marketed weights and aiming that tighter weight group at the profit optimal average weight at the time of marketing. It’s a bit like playing darts, you want the darts to be in tight group but it is also necessary to be near the bull’s eye on the target.

Current pig market weights are through the roof and at all-time highs for the modern period of meat pig production. We should be noticing a big decline shortly but…

The future for the European pig producers seems clear and the heart of the matter lies in knowing how the different markets will reposition themselves.

Pathogens that are transmitted mostly through direct, pig to pig, contact are generally contained with today’s biosecurity programs and pig flow strategies. However, pathogens using multiple routes of transmission seem to evade standard biosecurity programs.

Time will tell if PEDV is the cause but weaned pig and feeder pig prices began to turn up in June, a couple of months ahead of their traditional seasonal bottoming with the turn toward seasonal highs which peak usually in February or March.

None of the employees on this farm had ever seen TGEv before, but were concerned that is what they were seeing.