Special Report
Pork Board veterinarian provides PEDv update
A veterinarian with the National Pork Board is optimistic that the industry will get the PED virus under control.
Dr. Paul Sundberg says there has been a slight downturn in the number of PEDv infections in recent weeks. And he expects that trend to continue throughout the summer.
“This type of virus doesn’t like hot and doesn’t like dry,” Sundberg says, “and so we’re hopeful that as we get warmer weather, the incidence and number of infections will decrease.”
Longer-term, Sundberg says he’s optimistic that heightened biosecurity and checkoff-funded research will help get the disease under control.
“If we can keep it down over the summer, and expect that it may come back again next winter but at a lower level, we’re going to optimistically see the end of this in the next year or two,” Sundberg says.
Experts estimate PEDv has killed four to five million piglets since last summer.
Sundberg’s comments came in an interview with Brownfield at the National Institute for Animal Agriculture’s annual conference in Omaha.
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