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State Vet McGraw comments on new Wisconsin swine testing rule

Wisconsin’s State Veterinarian says new swine testing rules that begin February 1^st should help keep the risk of Swine Enteric Coronavirus Disease (SECD) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) very low.  Dr. Paul McGraw says, “They’ll need to test the herd of origin, and if they’re negative for PRRS and SECD, then they can come in on the health paper like usual.  The same process for moving in Wisconsin, so if you’re selling pigs or moving pigs to a different location, they’ll need to be tested, the herd of origin, within 90 days (prior to movement) of these two viruses.”

McGraw tells Brownfield the Wisconsin Pork Association and the swine industry approached him about how to better control the viruses, and the new rule is the first of its kind nationally.  “This is the first program that is looking at PRRS and SECD nationally.  All of our surrounding states are aware of these rules and they’re looking closely at them, and I think everybody has the same challenges in the economic devastation from these two diseases, so there’s a lot of interest to see how this works in Wisconsin.”

McGraw says the exception to the testing rule is if the animals are going directly to slaughter or to one fair or exhibition prior to slaughter.

If pigs test positive, McGraw says they will be quarantined until a herd plan is in place.

McGraw says the testing process can typically be done quarterly and does not require catching individual pigs.  “You can hang a rope with a group of pigs like the finish barn or a nursery group and let them chew on that rope.  You can take that saliva and send it to the lab through a veterinarian and get it tested, so you don’t have catch individual pigs, and one sample on a farm like that will work for up to 150 pigs.”

All livestock entering Wisconsin must be accompanied by a certificate of veterinary inspection, or CVI, signed by a veterinarian who has found the animal healthy in the past 30 days.  Under the new rule, the CVI will need additional documentation including proof the animal came from a herd testing negative in the previous 90 days, and that the animal showed no signs of either disease when examined.

Information about the new rule is available from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection website. The Wisconsin Pork Association also has online information and two upcoming webinar training sessions to help producers comply with the new rule.