Update on PEDV Research - Lisa Becton, DVM MS DACVPM, Director, National Pork Board, from the 2014 NIAA Annual Conference titled 'The Precautionary Principle: How Agriculture Will Thrive', March 31 - April 2, 2014, Omaha, NE, USA. More presentations at http://www.trufflemedia.com/agmedia/conference/2014_niaa_how_animal_agriculture_will_thrive

1. Update on PED
Research
Lisa Becton, DVM, MS, DACVPM
Dir. Swine Health Information &
Research
National Pork Board

2. PED Initial Events
• PEDV was confirmed in the US on May 16th, 2013 by
diagnostic tests at the USDA National Veterinary Services
Laboratory (NVSL) in Ames, IA
– Found in multiple farms simultaneously and then additional farms
diagnosed positive potentially from lateral spread
• Coordinated effort by all key stakeholders to understand
where PEDV was/is occurring and how to best manage it:
– United States Department of Agriculture (multiple divisions)
– State Animal Health Organization representatives (SAHO)
– National Pork Board (NPB)
– National Pork Producers Council (NPPC)
– American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV)

3. Current Status of PED
• PED continues to be a major health challenge for U.S.
producers into 2014
• Since it was first diagnosed in May of 2013, there have been a
total of >4700 cases reported:
– CASE reports are different than SITE reports.
– 28 states (VT just diagnosed first positive case)
– Data can be found at www.aasv.org

4. National Pork Board Focus
• Research focus - New virus therefore needed research
on PEDv and impact for US producers
• Development and communication of producer
information/resources
• Containment/management strategies
– Work with USDA/stakeholders and develop next steps for
emerging disease response
– Rapid Response Team pilot/Surveillance activities

5. PED Research Efforts

6. Development of Research Priorities
• *Swine Health Committee – producers,
veterinarians, advisors (university, government,
industry)
• PED Strategic Task Force
• Input from AASV and NPPC membership
• State Pork Associations input

7. PEDV Research Priorities
Initial Research Priorities:
 Needed to get answers quickly! (<6months)
 Basic understanding of the characteristics and pathogenesis of PEDV
 Development & validation of diagnostic tests (antigen and antibody)
 Environmental stability on various surfaces and substrates and effectiveness of
sanitation efforts
 Epidemiology of the disease
 Funded 8 proposals early June for 2013 – “basics” research for PEDV
7

8. PEDV Research for Fall 2013
• Sow immunity was high priority for the fall call and the
Committee funded 3 proposals addressing multiple aspects of
sow immunity:
– Duration of immunity; Optimizing feedback protocols; Diagnostic
tests to assess sow and piglet immunity to PEDV
• Additional areas of focus for fall 2013:
– Assessment of feed as a source of viable/infective virus
• For 2013, the Board approved >$1,000,000 for PEDV research

9. PEDV Research Funded for 2014
• For the Spring call for proposals, the Committee
selected projects for funding focusing on:
– Validation of new diagnostic tests
– Continuation of a surveillance project to monitor incidence
and track transmission
– Assessment of efficacy of disinfectant to denature proteins
and provide negative PCR result
Approximately $150,000 spent for 2014 so far

10. PEDV Research For 2014
• The Board approved an additional $650,000 for use
for PEDV research, communications and outreach for
2014
• March 19th: Feed Consortium meeting in Iowa to
discuss immediate needs for feed research;
collaboration and $$ support by feed industry
• Collaboration and $$ leverage with Genome Alberta
$500K on research priority needs and focused RFP for
PEDV

11. PEDV Feed RFP 2014
• Conduct feed or feedstuff contamination risk assessments at all steps
within the feed processing and delivery chain. Risk assessment should
include potential role of vectors (i.e. birds) or fomites and development
of best manufacturing and/or management practices to prevent feed
contamination with PEDV/SdCV.
• Demonstrate virus survivability in feed and feed ingredients to include
the following variables: feed and feed components, storage time and
temperature, processing procedure and time (meal or pellet), and
moisture content. Conditions investigated should be representative of
industry processes. To allow for the most efficient use of checkoff funds
we encourage investigating other viruses important to the industry in the
same study (i.e. PRRS, TGE, Rotavirus, etc.).

12. PEDV Feed RFP 2014
• Investigate effectiveness and cost of feed or feed
ingredient treatments that could be used to mitigate
viral survival.
• Develop a viral dose-infection curve showing viral
dose by time and by temperature for both pelleted
and milled feed.
• Develop diagnostic procedures for determining
potential live virus contamination of feed or
feedstuffs.

13. PEDV Feed RFP 2014
• Proposals due April 2nd, 2014
• Swine Health Committee will review and select
proposals April 4th, 2014.

14. Additional PEDV/SdCV Research
• SdCV assessment for research needs
– Working with diagnostic labs on immediate needs for
research: pathogenesis, diagnosis etc.
• PEDV research RFP – finalized to be posted April
15th with proposals due April 22nd.
– Working with Genome Alberta on priorities and
funding resources

15. PEDV Research
• Information and updates
on funded projects
available at
www.pork.org/PED

16. PEDV Communications Outreach
• News Releases
• PEDV Update Newsletter
• Pork Insider
• Pork Leader
• Research Review
• Pork Checkoff Report Magazine, Newsletter
• NAFB Radio Reports; PorkPod
• Total Recipients (minus radio) = 434,811

17. Communication of Research Results
(All research information is posted at www.pork.org/PEDV )
• Wanted to provide producers with as close to “real
time” results as possible
• Utilized PEDV specific site for all information
• Research updates available bi-weekly until project
completion

18. Development of Producer Resources
• Objective: Put together the best people possible to provide
recommendations to address PED biosecurity and
biocontainment; develop key areas of focus
• PED Strategic Task Force
– Review, advise, guide
– Urgency
• PED Working Groups
• NPB Staff Communications
• Collaborative efforts – NPB/NPPC/AASV/SAHO/etc.: target
respective audiences

19. 19
PED Transportation Guidelines

20. 20
PEDV Manure Hauling Guidelines

21. Other PEDV Resources
• Recommendations available for:
– Exhibit Organizer Biosecurity
– Exhibitor Biosecurity
– Positive in Breeding Herd
– Positive in Nursery/Grow-Finish
– Line of Separation
– Create Clean Crossing
– Additional resources…

22. Summary
• PEDV and SdCV are emerging diseases of swine
that have proven to be very costly to producers
• Cooperation and collaboration between all sectors
of industry and government is a must
• Need to continue to focus efforts for collaboration
and cooperation on key research questions for
disease management and control

23. Thank you!
lbecton@pork.org
515-223-2791