Another new pig virus has been detected at six Ontario hog farms – DeltaCoronavirus (SDCV).
The Animal Health Laboratory says the symptoms are similar to Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE) and Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) virus, but it’s less deadly.
It prompts pigs of all ages to vomit and to develop diarrhea and has the highest mortality rate among piglets.
The Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph developed the ability to test for the virus after it was first identified by Iowa State University. The six Ontario cases have been confirmed by testing at that lab.
These are the first confirmed cases of SDCV in Canada, the Guelph lab says.
SDCV was first detected in pigs in Hong Kong in 2012.
In February 2014, the United States Department of Agriculture along with the Ohio Department of Agriculture issued a press release indicating that SDCV had been detected in swine manure at four farms in Ohio.
These farms had pigs exhibiting clinical signs similar to PED, and three of the four farms had tested positive for PED as well as SDCV.
The Guelph lab ran tests for SDCV after samples from farms indicated the sick pigs had neither TGE nor PED virus.
The tests are available free of charge in Ontario for symptomatic herds.
SDCV causes diarrhea and vomiting in all age groups and mortality in nursing pigs, the lab says. Mortality rates appear to be lower than in cases of PED.
SDCV is not a risk to human health or to other animals, nor is it a food safety risk.
The lab says SDCV can be prevented and managed in the same way as PED:
·ensuring vigilance and strong biosecurity at the farm level,
·diligent cleaning and disinfection by transporters, renderers, processors and other service providers
·developing herd immunity to reduce clinical signs
“To protect Ontario’s swine herd, it is critical that all those in the industry – producers, transporters, suppliers – continue to work together to maintain increased vigilance with biosecurity measures.
“Contact your veterinarian immediately if animals show any signs of illness, or if you require assistance in developing biosecurity strategies,” an advisory bulletin from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food says.

Under Ontario’s Animal Health Act, 2009, veterinarians are required to immediately report any findings that identify a serious risk to animal health, such as SDCV.

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— By Jim Romahn