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PED Virus Changes Hog Farmers' Patterns

Russ Quinn
By  Russ Quinn , DTN Staff Reporter
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The "piglet disease" affects everything from equipment purchases to feed buying. (DTN/The Progressive Farmer photo by Jim Patrico)

North American hog producers have been battling porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus for nearly two years. The so-called "piglet disease" is devastating with high mortality rates of baby pigs. In response, hog farmers have stepped up biosecurity practices to guard against the deadly disease infecting their herds.

While these new biosecurity practices appear to have slowed the spread of the disease, they have also had interesting effects on how producers operate.

The PED virus is spread by a fecal-oral route, meaning the disease is in manure. Increased biosecurity for many pork producers includes more cleaning and disinfecting of equipment, especially manure application equipment.

"If I would be in the market for buying used manure equipment, the PED virus would be a major concern of mine," Jamin Ringger, a Gridley, Illinois, hog and grain producer told DTN.

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He said that many of his fellow hog producers purchased new manure equipment last fall to avoid the possibility of exposure to the PED virus through used manure equipment. With hog prices lower than they were last fall, the obvious question is if hog producers with slightly less income now would consider purchasing used manure application which would be less expensive but also could carry manure infected with the PED virus.

"Good question," Ringger said.

It is conceivable the manure equipment could be cleaned and disinfected so any trace of the virus would be eliminated or at least limited. My question is: You can clean and disinfect the outside surfaces of a liquid hog manure spreader fairly well, but can you really do the same to the inside of the spreader where the infected manure might be present?

Increased biosecurity efforts also could involve changing basic routines, even off site. Should producers avoid places where other producers have been? This would include such places as gas stations or supply stores where other people involved in pork production could track manure infected with the virus on their shoes.

Wanda Patsche, a hog producer from Welcome, Minnesota, said when she goes to stores for supplies, she will call ahead with her order, and the employees of the store meet her outside of the facility. They will load the supplies into her truck, allowing her to avoid the inside of the store and any risk of picking up the virus on her shoes.

"I'm a fairly social person, and so I kind of miss going inside the store and talking with others," she said. "But at the same time, we also have to be careful with diseases."

This biosecurity effort has caused mixed emotions for hog producers. On one hand, you understand why these rules have to be instituted, but on the other hand, I personally would be disappointed not to be able to go into the feed/supply store. Maybe I am too outgoing.

Russ Quinn can be reached at russ.quinn@dtn.com

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