10 The Business of Canadian Hog Farming Better Pork | April 2024 THREAT OF JEV If you thought three letters couldn’t do much damage, you’ve never dealt with the CRA. From PRRS to PED, the pork sector in Canada is full of scary acronyms, and one that recently caught the attention of the industry is JEV (Japanese Encephalitis Virus). This zoonotic pathogen (caused by germs that spread between animals and people) can lead to serious disease in humans and trigger abortions and stillbirths in sows. Though it has yet to reach Canada, the potential for huge economic losses in the pig sector could make it worse than a federal audit. “JEV is known as an arbovirus. An arbovirus by definition is an insect- borne virus that transmits to other vertebrates,” says Dr. Christa Arsenault, manager of the Canadian Swine Health Intelligence Network (CSHIN). “It originated in Asia and affects about 70,000 people per year in the Western Pacific region, especially the very young and very old, with around a 20 to 30 per cent mortality rate.” Though the overall death rate in pigs is lower than for humans, the risk depends on when the animal is infected. “The younger the pig is at that point, including in utero from an infected sow, the higher the mortality,” says Dr. Arsenault. “It is a hard disease to detect, so we may need to look for patterns that could alert swine veterinarians. “Because JEV is mosquito-driven, the majority of cases may be concentrated in a specific area, such as near a body of water.” Jodie Aldred photo ‘THIS IS ONE SWINE DISEASE THAT WE CERTAINLY HAVE ON OUR RADAR.’ COULD JEV LEAVE THE PORK SECTOR DOA? By GEOFF GEDDES Christa Arsenault We appreciate all your comments, along with story ideas on issues you want to see us cover. Paul.Nolan@Farms.com HOW ARE WE DOING?
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