Pig farmers fear spread of PEDv
Up to recently, only lower-pathogenic strains of PED were found in Europe, and these caused about 60% piglet mortality in infected herds.
Some outbreaks, particularly in Germany and Italy, have caused mortalities up to 70%, according to Zoe Davies, chief executive of the National Pig Association which represents UK pig farmers.
She expressed concern that the Ukraine government did not recognise PEDv as a serious problem, because it wasn’t listed by the World Organisation of Animal Health, and warned that the EU is doing nothing to prepare for the likely spread of high-pathogenic PEDv from the Ukraine to the EU.
“The commission just hasn’t woken up to the potential risk of this disease and how virulent it is. It doesn’t matter if you wash your lorries, it will still be transmitted because levels of biosecurity simply aren’t going to be good enough.”
Ukraine borders the EU countries of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, and since the beginning of 2014, there have been multiple outbreaks of PEDv on commercial-scale farms in Ukraine.
Official laboratory reports have now confirmed that Ukraine has the highly virulent version of PEDv, which killed millions of piglets in 32 US states, reducing the national pig kill by 5%.
In the Ukraine, 100% mortality amongst piglets up to ten days of age was reported in a 5,000-sow unit.
