Ontario Pork January 30 PED Update

Hello Everyone:

Updates:
Ontario has now confirmed 4 cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea.

1. Middlesex County – farrow-to-finish
2. Chatham Kent – wean-to-finish
3. Chatham Kent – wean-to-finish
4. Norfolk County – farrow-to-finish

Current Activity:
- Farms have stopped movement of all swine and are working with their veterinarians and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food to assess next steps.

- Based on what we know of the disease and its progression, options for on-farm next steps are being discussed with producers and plants to ensure the orderly flow of animal movement through the supply chain.

- The frequency of sampling has increased as suspect cases grow.

- Surveillance to check for PED is being conducted at plants and assembly yards and trucks going to and from the U.S. and now within Ontario.

- We are recommending all producers review biosecurity protocols and put clean and disinfection measures in place immediately.

Government Funding:

- The Premier and Minister of Agriculture and Food, Kathleen Wynne announced on the pork industry PED telephone town hall yesterday that Ontario is providing $2 million to help Ontario Pork support industry-wide investments to improve biosecurity measures at critical points across the province, such as assembly yards, processing plants and truck washing stations.

- The governments of Canada and Ontario have also created a special PED biosecurity program under Growing Forward 2 to help producers, abattoirs, truckers, assembly facilities, and rendering service providers in the pork industry invest in additional biosecurity measures to limit the spread of PED. This initiative is in addition to the existing Growing Forward 2 funding assistance program. Ontario will administer the fund, and applications will be accepted until March 13, 2014.

What Producers Can Do:

- There are several actions you can take to help protect your business from this disease

- Call your veterinarian immediately if you suspect PEDv symptoms in your herd (eg. vomiting, diarrhea)

- Ensure staff take extra biosecurity steps with respect to footwear and vehicle sanitation.

- Establish a biosecure and responsible way to manage mortalities

- Visit the U.S. Pork Check Off site for practical resource information: http://www.pork.org/filelibrary/PEDfsBook%20final1.pdf or OPIC/OSHAB http://www.opic.on.ca/oshab-overview

- Email is the best way to deliver information to you in a timely manner. We are receiving notifications of emails bouncing back from several producer addresses.  If you are not receiving these notifications, please update your security settings on your email to allow for emails from Ontario Pork Communications.

Helplines

- Farm and Food Care Helpline - 519-837-1326

- Agricultural Information Contact Centre - 877-424-1300

- Ontario Pork phone - 877-668-7675 or 519-767-4600