By Bruce Cochrane
An Ontario swine veterinarian says the heightened risk for the transmission of trans-boundary and possibly foreign animal diseases has heightened the need for a national swine health strategy.
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus was first identified in the U.S. in mid-May 2013 and the first case in Canada was confirmed in January 2014 in Ontario.
Dr. Doug MacDougald, a veterinarian with Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services, says Canada's experience with PED has clearly demonstrated the need for a nationally coordinated strategy for dealing with trans-boundary animal diseases.
Dr. Doug MacDougald-Southwest Ontario Veterinary Services:
Clearly the risks have increased.
The fact that 2 strains of PED virus and Deltacoronavirus all arriving in the U.S. through the spring of 2013 represents the risk of globalization of the swine industry and product movement around the globe creating a clear risk factor for the transmissions of future trans-boundary and possibly foreign animal disease pathogens.
We have to have a national strategy.
We're a national exporting country and it does little good for Quebec to do a good job on disease containment and elimination and Ontario not for example so we simply have to have a strong regional focus with a national overarching strategy.
In a country like Canada that exports close to 75 percent of its total product, any trade limiting disease can have a material to a potentially catastrophic impact.
Dr. MacDougald says Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea has shown the need for single voice organizations in Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada to formulate specific appropriate plans for the regions and a national equivalent organization to coordinate and collaborate between the regions and with international organizations.
Source: Farmscape