Rob Hannam
CEO, Farm Health Guardian
As a Farm Health Guardian partner and CEO, Rob is committed to providing technology solutions to create a healthy and sustainable agri-food industry. Rob has proven experience in building and marketing innovative businesses like Farm Health Guardian. He is also President of Synthesis Agri-Food Network where he leads a team of consulting and communications professionals to push the boundaries of agri-food leadership and innovation.
Swine diseases are on the rise, highlighting the importance of strong biosecurity to keep commercial herds healthy. At Farm Health Guardian, we believe that strong biosecurity programs are the most cost-effective way to reduce the risk and impact of animal disease.
The most recent Swine Disease Reporting System, which aggregates data from US veterinary labs to report on swine diseases, highlights the rise of both porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) viruses:
- PRRSV positivity in the wean-to-market phase rose to 48.46%, the highest level since 2018.
- PEDV rates increased, with adult/sow farms at 6.48% and wean-to-market farms at 17.37%, surpassing predicted thresholds.
Key takeaways:
- Swine diseases including ASF, PRRS and PEDv are on the rise and move faster than borders and regulations
- Biosecurity breaches are the main cause of virus introduction on pig farms
- Industry cannot afford to relax when it comes to biosecurity
And there is more. Recently, nine wild boars found dead in Spain have been confirmed to have African swine fever (ASF), bringing a stop to one-third of the country’s pork exports and drastically reducing the price of pork. In fact, the FAO (UN Food and Agriculture Organization) issued an urgent warning on Monday about the threat of transboundary animal diseases like ASF, estimating global losses could be $48 billion to $300 billion annually if outbreaks are not contained.
ASF does not respect borders
On top of this, animal health authorities in Taiwan have confirmed that the ASF virus detected at a Taichung pig farm in late October is almost genetically identical to strains circulating in China and Vietnam. This outbreak represents a “jump” of around 628 km from the nearest reported ASF outbreaks and reaffirms the necessity of strict biosecurity and surveillance to limit disease spread.
Although Taiwan has not faced widespread ASF on commercial farms, this finding reminds us how quickly the virus can cross borders despite strict import controls and island geography. While inspection and sampling of more than 5,000 other farms uncovered no other cases, Taiwan can not have any new cases for at least three months to regain its ASF free status.
The human aspect of disease spread
The need for vigilance in implementing biosecurity couldn’t be clearer. Dr. Klaus Depner, Senior Scientist, Institute of International Animal Health/One Health says that “Humans are the main cause of long-distance transmission and virus introduction into pig farms”.1 ASF has high case fatality and is highly tenacious in the environment, surviving locally in wild pig populations for months or years. While these characteristics make it efficient in persistence and transmission, ASF does not have rapid spread in domestic pigs and as a result, can be effectively controlled with good biosecurity.
“Humans are the main cause of long-distance transmission and virus introduction into pig farms.”
But considering only the biological aspects of a disease like ASF (i.e., its contagiousness, tenacity and high case fatality) and ignoring the human aspects of biosecurity, will not effectively control a disease. “It is always human error that results in the virus entering the barn,“ says Dr. Depner.
What this means right now2
- Even isolated outbreaks can create months of economic fallout for producers and suppliers
- Industry cannot afford to relax when it comes to biosecurity
- Have an outbreak communication plan ready before it’s needed
- Ensure visitors, vendors, and service teams follow strict entry rules
- Review downtime and disinfection protocols for deliveries
Farm Health Guardian makes biosecurity proactive. Breach alerts and real-time movement data of people and vehicles can help prevent biosecurity breaches before they happen.
To learn more, visit farmhealthguardian.com.
1 In a webinar hosted by Pig Progress
2 https://www.swineweb.com/taiwan-confirms-asf-case-genetically-linked-to-china-and-vietnam-what-it-means-for-global-pork-biosecurity/
