Is it Too Late for the USDA to Ask for Mandatory Reporting of PEDv?</

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

While pig farmers in the United States have been asked to tighten up biosecurity measures, producers have not yet been asked to report outbreaks to government officials of the highly contagious pig virus known as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv).

But that might change soon, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) considers making reporting of PEDv mandatory.

Since last spring, the virus has already spread to 30 states, which begs the question – will mandatory reporting at this point make much of a difference? That’s a question that Tom Burkgren has pondered. Burkgren is the executive director with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians.

In an interview with Reuters, Burken says it may be too late for mandatory reporting to provide benefits to the U.S. pork industry. According to Burken, the USDA is expected to begin talks with industry later this week about considering rules to require mandatory reporting of the pig virus.