Canadian Agency: No Feed, PED Link

OMAHA (DTN) -- Scientific testing cannot confirm a link between feed containing blood plasma and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infections, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced earlier this week. Despite the lack of findings, hog industry experts believe this news will help researchers learn more about the disease and how it is spread.

The feed investigation began on Feb. 9 after Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food testing found that U.S.-origin porcine blood plasma used in feed pellets produced by Grand Valley Fortifiers contained PED virus genetic material. As a precaution, the company pulled the affected feed pellets from the market.

The CFIA study found that the porcine blood plasma in question contained PED virus capable of causing the disease in pigs, according a CFIA news release. However, the study could not demonstrate that the feed pellets containing the blood plasma were capable of causing disease.

The CFIA's investigation also included sampling and testing of feed, plasma and other ingredients from various Canadian and U.S. sources associated with farms in Canada on which PED has been detected. All test results on these samples were negative for PED.

RESEARCHERS LEARNING MORE

Paul Sundberg, National Pork Producers Board vice president of science and technology, told DTN one of the important things to remember is researchers are learning more and more about PED through all the testing.

"It has been both a problem and blessing; it has only been about 10 months," Sundberg told DTN. "We have learned a lot during this time about PED, but we also need to learn much more."

Sundberg said the pellets the pigs were fed were treated with sprayed dried plasma, which tested positive for PED. In the study, the pellets with the sprayed dried plasma were fed to pigs, but these pigs never developed the disease.

The question researchers now are asking, he said, is: What did the feed processing steps do to the PED virus? Heat and pressure is used to form feed pellets. If the PED virus does not survive the pelleting process, should all feed be pelleted?

No one knows the answer and it is may not be that simple, Sundberg said. There are many different factors involved with the feed pellet manufacturing process, including varying temperatures and the amount of time the pelleting process takes.

Rodney "Butch" Baker, Iowa State University Extension interim director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center and senior clinician for Food Supply Veterinary Medicine at ISU, said it is likely the PED virus would have been inactivated by the spray drying process. This has been tested with other viruses in the past and always comes back with negative results.

"I personally believe the product is safe, but there is certainly something going on," Baker said. "The virus has managed to get through what we thought were good bio-exclusion practices."

Baker also pointed out that feed pellets feed for different-sized hogs are heated to different temperatures. Pelleted feed for baby piglet only reaches about 120 degrees Fahrenheit, while other pelleted feed is heated to 180 to 220 degrees. The PED virus should be inactivated at the higher temperatures, but probably not at the lower temperatures.

"The question is also does the whole pellet reach that temp?" he said. "I don't know the answer to that."

Baker believes future research will need to spike virus levels in feed before the pelleting process and then see if any viable virus gets through and infects hogs.

SOME QUESTION CFIA'S FINDINGS

Allan Heithoff, a Carroll, Iowa, farmer who operates a wean-to-finish hog operation with his family, said he is not so sure there is no link between feed and PED despite what the Canadian report claims. There are many factors to include when examining this complex issue, he said.

"I disagree (with the report) to a point, especially if there's any kind of blood meal used," Heithoff said. "Also, look at how many trucks cross borders every day."

Heithoff, whose operation had a farm that had to deal with an outbreak of the PED virus, said he has stepped up his biosecurity efforts. His operation does not allow visitors, and street shoes and outside clothing are not worn into the barns. This also includes showers before going into the barn with smaller pigs.

He said he also tries to use commonsense in his continuing fight against PED. "Where have I been today?" and "Is there a chance I may have been somewhere where I need to disinfect my floor mats?" are a couple things Heithoff said he asks himself regularly.

"It's something I hope we never go through again; it is ugly," Heithoff said. "I can't imagine it at a sow farm when it's close to 100% mortality."

RESEARCH CONTINUES

With PED moving into new territories in both the U.S. and Canada, the search for more knowledge about this deadly baby pig disease continues.

Sundberg pointed out that in addition to researching pellets, other factors need to be fully investigated. Along with pelleted feed versus ground feed, other variables such as feed storage conditions and post-feed-processing containment issues need to be considered.

"We are working with our colleagues from Canada on these issues," Sundberg said. "PED is different than any other disease we have had to deal with, and we have much more work ahead of us."

Research into all aspects of the PED virus will continue to happen for quite some time, he added.

"There is still a lot to learn," he said.

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

(AG/CZ)

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