Cross-border scheme aims to limit pig disease risk in US, Canada
A scheme to tackle biosecurity issues in the United States and Canada should help limit the risk of disease transmission in north America’s pig herds, say pig health experts.
Industry officials in both countries are joining forces to develop a set of standard biosecurity practices to reduce the chance of diseases spreading from areas of high concentrations of pigs, reports The Pig Site.
It’s hoped these efforts will cut the risk of infection in areas such as packing plants, sow buying stations and assembly yards, limiting the chance of diseases getting back to farms.
Paul Sundberg, executive director of the Swine Health Information Centre, said that by focusing on the first points of concentration, the joint initiative should improve the health status of herds across the continent.
“Each country has separate interests and goals, but [we believe] we can work together to find common ground to help producers in both countries,” he said.
“We need to make sure that we’re aware of the issues of transport, biosecurity and biocontainment.
“It’s a good example of where we can cooperate [to create a system which] benefits everyone, so we’re really excited about doing this.”
Sundberg said officials hope to have an initial scheme outlined by the summer that producers and the rest of the industry can comment on before it is implemented.
Posted on June 21, 2017
