In an effort to combat the significant impact of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $26.2 million in funding and issued a Federal Order requiring the reporting of new detections of these viruses to its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) or state animal health officials.
The funding will be used for a variety of activities, including support for USDA’s Agricultural Research Service to develop vaccines, diagnostic testing and cost-share funding for producers of infected herds to support biosecurity practices. The funding also will assist support management and activity control by the states, as well as help herd veterinarians with development and monitoring of herd management plans and sample collection.
According to USDA, the number of market-ready hogs this summer could fall by more than 10 percent relative to 2013 due to PEDv.
These viruses do not pose any risk to human health or food safety.