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Dropping temps and PEDv

The forecast for dropping temperatures may be causing pork producers to flashback to last winter and the outbreak of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv).

State Veterinarian (in Ohio) Dr. Tony Forshey says there’s reason for concern.

“We’re going to go in here now with still a population of our swine that don’t have a lot of good natural immunity we suspect,” said Dr. Forshey. “It is a concern of ours.”

While pork producers have been doing a good job with biosecurity on the farm, Dr. Forshey says in Ohio the PEDv/PRRS Task Force will be conducting an educational campaign for truckers.

“Where we are going to get out and put on some programs for our truckers and trucking companies to talk about proper biosecurity, boots and things going in and out of trucks and truck washes, you know some companies have their own truck washes, other don’t,” the State Veterinarian said. “There’s a lot of biosecurity things that we are going to push pretty hard with outreach to our trucking industry.”

Dr. Forshey expects those educational programs to begin by the first of the year.

Audio: Dr. Tony Forshey, State Veterinarian, Ohio