CFIA steps up disease testing

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

by SUSAN MANN

Enhanced testing for three major pig diseases starting this month won’t disrupt regular animal marketing, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The agency announced Tuesday it’s moving to a system where it will regularly collect and test blood samples for porcine brucellosis, trichinellosis and pseudorabies from mature pigs at Canadian slaughter facilities. Previously the agency conducted periodic, large-scale surveys for those three diseases.

Agency spokesperson Lisa Gauthier says by email an estimated 2,500 blood samples will be taken from now until the end of the federal government’s fiscal year (March 2011).

“It is difficult to compare with previous surveys as the traditional approach has been to collect and test large numbers of samples over short periods of time with little testing carried out in the years between surveys,” she says.

Ontario Pork spokesperson Mary Jane Quinn says there’s no effect on farmers and their farming practices.

Farmers don’t have to do anything special or different to prepare for the blood tests as pigs will be chosen randomly for testing at slaughter plants.

Gauthier says the Canadian testing system is being enhanced in response to updated surveillance recommendations from the World Animal Health Organization and “improved statistical methodologies that permit us to take full advantage of multiple sources of surveillance information.”

The Canadian pork industry supports the move to enhanced testing. Canadian Pork Council spokesman Gary Stordy says the idea is to enable the industry’s international customers to be confident in Canadian products.

Quinn says the move to more regular testing also enhances Canada’s reputation as a food safety leader.

Surveillance of these three diseases is critical to maintaining market access for Canada’s top-quality swine, swine semen and pork products, the agency says in a press release. The surveillance system is also important for protecting human health as brucellosis and trichinellosis can be transmitted to people. BF