What Is It?
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv)
is a gastrointestinal virus, with symptoms mimicking those of
transmissible gastroenteritis, causing diarrhea, vomiting and
eventually severe dehydration. The virus is fatal in pigs, and
millions of piglets have already been killed in the states due to the
PEDv, with more new cases popping up in Ontario over the last two
weeks. It is highly contagious and capable of remaining in the
environment for weeks, making it difficult to prevent spread.
Vaccines have been developed and are currently being used in the
United States, with Canada beginning to follow suit. Contact your
local veterinarian for more information.
SECTION BELOW FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL
“CFIA
spokesman Guy Gravelle said the agency has received multiple inquires
about the vaccine from veterinarians in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba.
The three provinces are the largest pig producers in Canada.
Although
the vaccine is its infancy and undergoing further field testing, the
CFIA decided to issue emergency permits based on the manufacturer’s
preliminary findings and because the virus emerging presence in
Canada.“The
vaccine will only be allowed to be used under close veterinarian
supervision,” Mr. Gravelle noted. “The vaccine would be
administered to pigs in sow barns, as a precautionary measure, to
build resistance, in case the sites become exposed to PED virus in
the future.”
Where did it come from?
The virus was first found in Europe and
more recently has been effecting parts of Asia. However, in May of
2013 it surfaced in the US with most recent cases being
confirmed in Canada.
The virus is transferred via manure-to-mouth contact. It has been asked that truckers wash and dry
their transport trucks after containing anything that could be related to the
virus, and that farmers or anyone in contact with a hog barn, shower
after being in contact (as a precautionary measure).
What you need to know:
First off, humans can breathe a sigh of
relief, in that PEDv is not considered a zoonotic virus, meaning it
can’t be transferred to other animals, nor humans. The National Pork Board (yes, this board does exist!) goes on to say that
PEDv actually does not even pose a risk to food safety. Theoretically
we could eat pork that had been infected and there would be no
negative impact to our health.
PEDv is considered a ‘production
related disease’, meaning the virus is fatal to pigs and will
decrease pork supply (and therefore increase pork prices)
significantly, especially if it continues to spread.
Naturopathic Perspective
There really is no need to take
preventative measures, as currently there is no reason to believe
that PEDv poses any risk to human health. That being said, if
individuals are looking to boost their antiviral intake, simply
adding more antiviral foods/spices to their food, in the form of
garlic and ginger is one easy way. If you are looking for a
supplement; elderberry, astragalus, and echinacea, along with
minerals like zinc, have all been shown to have effective antiviral
properties.
A side note on the vaccine being
issued: Seeing as there have been no long-term studies on the
vaccine to date, which was recently issued emergency permits, despite
the fact that there is still ongoing field testing being conducted,
consumers may feel more comfortable using caution when buying and
ingesting pork in which the vaccine has been used.
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