The PED virus ran rampant through the Hoosier hog herd last winter, but it is a different story this year. State Veterinarian Dr. Bret Marsh said, so far this winter, the spread of the highly contagious virus has been much slower, “The number of cases have been down, and we attribute that to the increased biosecurity we have seen on farms and at packing plants, and people are just more aware the disease is out there.” He added, even with few infections, the virus is still out there and producers need to be vigilant.
Marsh said, as time goes by, the fact that many herds have had the virus is building a natural immunity to the disease, “Many of our herds have had exposure to the virus, so it is not brand new to them; and I think there is some level of immunity out there.” Several new vaccines are undergoing field trials and are showing some promise.
To help producers stay on top of the infestation, the BOAH has set up weekly PEDv reports that can be e-mailed to producers. Marsh said the updates will help producers stay on top of the situation in the state and across the nation, “These reports have information from laboratories access the nation as well as farms from around out state.” The updates are available at the BOAH web site or producers can sign up to receive e-mail updates.