Missouri farms not immune from devastating hog virus

Nevada Daily Mail

Following an expensive year of heightened consumer pork prices, economists thought 2014 would be a year of cheaper pork. But a virus sweeping hog farms nationwide, including Missouri, is reducing the numbers of pigs that make it to slaughter.

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, also known as PEDv, was initially only an issue for overseas hog producers. But within the last year, farmers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have discovered the disease has made its way across international waters.

At the last reporting in late January, Missouri had 36 confirmed cases of PEDv -- a small number compared to nearly 1,100 in neighboring Iowa.

The virus damages cells that line a pig's intestines, making it difficult to absorb food and nutrients. Symptoms include severe diarrhea and vomiting, which leads to dehydration. PEDv is transferred between pigs through contact with contaminated feces, but researchers are investigating the role of feed and feed ingredients in the virus' spread.

Lisa Becton, a veterinarian working with the National Pork Board, said the virus appears in more than one form.

"There's a couple different strains of the virus, and one is very damaging. It causes higher death loss in the babies than the other strain," she said. The mortality rate can be as high as 100 percent in piglets

Piglets have had the highest death loss because their bodies are unable to withstand the symptoms, with a mortality rate as high as 80 to 100 percent. Older pigs have a better chance at surviving PEDv, and those that do generally recover within seven to 10 days.

The virus takes around three to four weeks on one farm before it runs its course and hogs that do survive are still at risk for secondary infections caused by weakened immune systems.

According to the USDA, PEDv is not transferable to humans and poses no food safety risks. But for commercial hog farmers, PEDv can cause financial strain from the amount of lost pigs.

Spreading west and north

Marcia Shannon, a swine nutrition specialist and professor at the University of Missouri, said tracking the spread of PEDv to the U.S. has become increasingly important.

"It's an old disease, just one that's new here in the U.S. The whole big debate is about how it got here," Shannon said.

The virus was first recognized in the United Kingdom in 1971 and has since spread throughout Europe and Asia. Becton said the type of PEDv seen in the U.S. has been in Asia since 2010, but difficult to control in countries such as Taiwan and China.

By May 2013, swine in Iowa tested positive for the virus. Farmers in major hog raising states, such as Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and the Carolinas are seeing a multitude of cases. In January 2014, some Canadian provinces confirmed the spread of PEDv across the border.

Cooler temperatures only exacerbate the virus. Becton said that PEDv can survive in a wide range of temperatures, but is more worrisome in the winter months.

"This disease has been particularly worse in colder months because of moist, damp conditions," she said. "Summertime sun and heat can destroy the virus, and it's not as aggressive then as it is in the winter time."

The start of summer fair preparations, which begins in those cooler susceptible months, has experts like Shannon worried about further spread of the virus.

"Our concern is when we're getting into fair season. Kids are visiting farms buying pigs for fair," Shannon said. Without proper biosecurity practices in these situations, such as washing trucks, boots and isolating new hogs, farms can easily be cross-contaminated.

Those same worries have prompted some states to restrict swine travel. On Feb. 7, the Texas Animal Health Commission began requiring veterinary inspections for non-commercial hogs entering the state. Any pig not on its way to immediate slaughter must be observed by a veterinarian, and not exposed to PEDv within the previous 30 days. Oklahoma, Arkansas and Wisconsin have followed suit with similar regulations.

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians is urging farmers and farm visitors to consider limiting traffic for both people and equipment near swine farms. New hogs should be quarantined, and all items that have had possible contact with manure should be disinfected. Washing vehicles that tour more than one farm is incredibly important in ensuring PEDv doesn't travel from farm to farm.

Analyzing the impact

Agriculture economist Steve Meyer said that 2014 was expected to be a year of falling pork prices. Pork producers saw lower feed costs, which would help reduce grocery store meat prices. But those prices may not fall like expected.

"It is certainly not going to happen as planned and may not happen at all," Meyer said. "It is looking more and more like prices will indeed be higher than last year."

Meyer said PEDv is making it difficult for agricultural economists to determine how the hog market will fare this year. It's possible that farmers who suffered significant losses may be able to recover financially because the limited pork supply could offset the losses farmers face from fewer hogs to slaughter.

"It's very difficult because we don't know how many pigs have died. So we're trying to kind of guess at that until the USDA comes out with their numbers," Meyer said.

The next critical report on hog market activity will come out in March, detailing the impact of PEDv from November through February. From that report, economists like Meyer will be able to have an idea of what slaughter will look like come summer.

Economists are not the only experts analyzing the next steps. Becton said that researchers are working towards PEDv vaccinations. Iowa pharmaceutical company Harrisvaccines is one company working on a vaccination, but Becton said that most vaccines are in the experimental stages and that none have been approved for use.

Because of a lack of vaccinations, Benton says biosecurity measures -- those tips for avoiding cross contamination -- are essential. And in cases where farms are already under the grip of PEDv, Benton suggests increasing adding electrolytes for pigs suffering the virus' effects.

Shannon said that while PEDv is currently difficult to fight, things could be worse.

"It's an issue because it's devastating for producers that get it, but at the same time, it's a disease that we can handle. There's a lot worse diseases to get," Shannon said. "We're trying to get the word out about better biosecurity and management practices so that people are aware."