PRRS and PEDv are ongoing battles within pork production, especially this time of year. Dr. Lisa Becton, Director of Swine Health with the National Pork Board, says biosecurity is one tool to shield operations from the costly health implications of these diseases.
?Because those two viruses like cold, damp conditions, and it doesn’t necessarily mean sub-freezing, cold weather, damp conditions, snow, ice, rain, you name it, those viruses do like to survive,? Dr. Becton said. ?Winter in and of itself brings producers so many different challenges that we just don’t face during more temperate times a year like spring or summer.?
Dr. Becton says producers should keep biosecurity focused on addressing risks, including something as simple as your footwear since snow and mud on shoes are a virus harboring location.
?And when you have your outside footwear, either put them on a boot bed or one of those mats that can absorb moisture, or at least control it,? Dr. Becton said. ?Because when that material unthaws, if there’s virus in there, it can still stay viable.?
At the end of the day, no matter what the weather is, Dr. Becton says practicing biosecurity and remembering what the true risks are when bringing something on to your farm.
?So, on your hands, on your clothes, on your shoes, those are big things,? Dr. Becton said. ?So, anything you can do to make that break from what you were outside of the farm to what you were on the inside of the farm. And then same thing when you’re moving pigs, how do you make sure you keep your vehicles clean and dry. You don’t cross over the line of separation at the back of a shoot and go into the back of a trailer.?
For more information on biosecurity protocols, producers can go to porkcheckoff.org.
