12 Story Idea? Contact Paul.Nolan@Farms.com Better Pork | April 2024 Make it a REALITY Does the future of your operation feel unclear? Let’s connect the dots. Per m . The PIC®800 is proven to sire robust pigs built to thrive against any challenge. His easy-to-handle, efficient offspring deliver a clear economic advantage. Choose PIC®800 to make continuous improvement a reality in your operation. Contact your PIC representative today or visit pic.com. THREAT OF JEV This disease bites The virus is initially passed from certain types of mosquitoes to birds that live near water. If an infected mosquito bites a pig, the latter will replicate and amplify the pathogen. Though JEV has been reported in humans since the 19th century, the ability of pigs to act as amplifying hosts was not known until the 1960s. Still, that was 60 years ago – so why all the fuss today? “About a year and a half ago, JEV landed in Australia and caused clinical disease in both humans and pigs,” says Dr. Egan Brockhoff, veterinary counsellor for the Canadian Pork Council (CPC). “That caught everyone’s attention, sparking risk assessments by the National Pork Producers Council in the U.S. and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), through CSHIN, in Canada.” The prevailing theory is that if JEV arrived on our shores, it would most likely be via mosquitoes on a plane from an infected area such as Australia. “That mosquito would have to survive transport, bite and infect a human or animal, and establish a disease reservoir in North America,” says Dr. Brockhoff. “We have the right birds in Canada to transmit it, though it may be more likely in the U.S. given its favourable climate versus our harsh winters.” As far as the potential impact on the Canadian pork sector, our best guide may be the Land Down Under. “In Australia, we saw the virus move from farm to farm and cause disease,” says Dr. Brockhoff. “That led to abortions and stillborn pigs, neurological disease, and some damage to fertility in both males and females. Should JEV reach Canada, the production loss could be significant, though we can’t put a number on it at this point.” Since JEV is similar to West Nile virus, it could follow a similar path and establish as a seasonal virus in Canada. Given the risks if we let JEV in, the better option is simple, but not easy: Keep it out. An intent to prevent “Prevention is a huge focus for us at CSHIN when it comes to pig disease,” says Dr. Arsenault. “We have established a national surveillance network with experts from across Canada JEV is similar to West Nile virus and could follow a similar path to establish as a seasonal virus in Canada. doug4537/E+ photo Egan Brockhoff
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc0MDI3