Boosting Biosecurity Crucial to Protecting Your Farm from PED Virus

Jun 13, 2013

Boosting Biosecurity Crucial to Protecting Your Farm from PED Virus

Pig producers are encouraged to ramp up their on-farm biosecurity measures to help prevent the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus entering Canada.

The first PED virus case was discovered in the United States in May, which has spread to over 100 herd spanning 11 states. Officials confirm that the virus hasn’t spread across the border and their hoping it stays that way. It is unknown how the disease originally came to the U.S.

The Canadian Swine Health Board has informed the industry of the looming threat and have outlined a number of precautionary measures that producers are urged to enforce. The virus can spread by pig to pig contact or through manure.

The trucking industry is also asked to be extra vigilant, while transporting live pigs across the border, ensuring that trucks are kept clean using proper sanitation procedures. More information about the PED virus can be found at swinehealth.ca.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.