30 Pork News & Views Better Pork April 2021 Pork News & Views Better Pork | October 2024 Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness outbreak are often negative. Understandably, there can be hesitation to share such information, often due to concerns that an outbreak might be seen as a sign of poor management or failure to uphold biosecurity standards. However, this mindset is not helpful in the long run. While proper biosecurity protocols effectively reduce the risk of disease incursions on farm there is no realistic way to eliminate 100% of disease risks. Outbreaks can still arise despite a producer’s best efforts, and once established, require quick action regardless of the source. Biosecurity protocols should be regularly reviewed and reassessed in the case of an outbreak to investigate where the introduction of disease may have occurred. By encouraging a more supportive approach, producers can take responsibility for their community and ensure their neighbors have the necessary information to properly protect their herds. Open communication about disease status, especially between nearby farms, can help prevent further spread and elevate the overall health and resilience of the community and sector at large. A Collaborative Risk Management Tool: SHARC Swine Health Area Regional Control (SHARC) is one of the resources pork producers can use to incorporate community efforts into their health management strategies. Developed through extensive consultation with producers and veterinarians, this voluntary program already covers approximately 60% of the Ontario pig population (and increases its effectiveness as participation grows). Features and Uses By tracking and mapping the status of barns for PRRS, PEDv and PDCoV, producers enrolled in the program can make informed decisions about hog movements/placements, vaccinations, disease treatments, manure spreading, barn building, etc. Lab results are updated daily from the Animal Health Lab (or by veterinarian request) with automated email notices (notifi- cation frequencies are customi- zable). No day-to-day management by producers is required. All status changes are approved by a vet. Testing history is accessible, with genotyping captured when pro- vided. Automatic enrollment of sites as they are added/removed from a producer. Mobile device compatible. AgManifest data integration (SHARC can move disease status automatically when movements are recorded in AgManifest). Radius mapping. Potential Future Applications Coordinated regional control efforts / vaccination trials. Integration of permitting based on zones during foreign animal disease outbreak. Inclusion of any other disease of interest. Easy Enrollment 1- Find your 9-digit producer number and an email registered with Ontario Pork. 2- Go to www.swinehealtharc.ca/ enroll. 3- Select “producer” and follow the prompts. For more information or assistance with enrolling, visit https://swinehealtharc.ca/ or contact Jessica Fox at info@swinehealthontario.ca or 519-767-4600 ext 1401. Other Outbreak Assistance and Resources Along with SHARC, Swine Health Ontario offers several resources to inform and support producers in preparation and response to disease situations. You can find these resources and more information here: https://www.swinehealthontario.ca/ The Canadian Pork Council supports and partners with a variety of Swine Health Initiatives. For more information, visit: https:// www.cpc-ccp.com/swine-health Part 2: A Personal Benefit Being open with your community in times of an outbreak doesn’t just benefit the animals, it allows producers to support each other and turn to someone who understands the stresses and difficult decisions that come with the job. Despite being in a statistically high stress career, farmers are significantly less likely than the general population to reach out for mental health support.
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