“What is happening now is that some farms that belong to an integrated associated group have been infected and, for this reason, there are a large number of animals. We usually report 3 to 5 new cases per semester to the WHOA, and recently new cases have appeared. The reality is that there are several sites, but epidemiologically, it is the same unit since it is the same production cycle,” Pérez began explaining.
In recent days, 4 cases have appeared in Santa Fe; one in the metropolitan area, in Marcos Paz, and in two more farms in the southeast of Córdoba.
Cases have appeared in Santa Fe and Córdoba. Cases have appeared in Santa Fe and Córdoba.
Within this framework, Senasa is taking measures with the private sector so that it is notified quickly and all suspicions and confirmed cases can be addressed.
“When the disease occurs, which is not very common, the farm becomes infected and the owner is automatically required to present a sanitation plan. This depends on whether the disease has a high prevalence within the farm, if it presents signs or both, since it gives us the parameter that the infection is active and requires vaccination, in addition to eliminating the positive ones. It could even be a slightly more radical measure, which is depopulation and repopulation with empty disinfection,” he highlighted.
Waiting for the vaccine
On the other hand, the head of Senasa’s National Pork Health Program expressed the priority of acquiring a vaccine since the existing stocks are not sufficient.
“The vaccine that is registered today does not have much production because they are inactivated veterinary vaccines and in many parts of the world this biological has stopped being used and was replaced by the attenuated vaccine. In this case, we want to import it to be able to offer a sufficient supply of vaccine and thus attend to these cases where there are a large number of animals with clinical signs with the intention of preventing the disease from spreading,” he specified.
As is known, there are laboratories that produce it in Spain and the United States, but they are waiting for the steps to follow from the approval so that the laboratories present the records in abbreviated form, to speed up the process, but always respecting the relevant controls.
Failures in biosecurity?
Regarding the symptoms, Pérez stated that it is a disease that produces nervous or respiratory signs.
What is observed is that the cases developed on farms with a large number of animals and affect other farms more than usual. Therefore, since a large number of animals are affected, “it is likely that there are biosecurity failures on other farms” and those that until last month were free are suddenly no longer free.
Pérez highlighted that not all animals are necessarily infected since many develop immunity quickly. He added that the first effect that the disease has when it enters the establishment is because many animals become infected, shed viruses into the environment and then get sick in large numbers.
However, as farms begin to apply internal biosecurity measures, these cases decrease and the disease reduces its morbidity, as well as the manifestation of signs. This way there begins to be immunity on the farm and the infection is stabilized.
“The virus is still in the animals, but it does not produce signs because the immune response is already sufficient for it to enter what is called latency. It is difficult to remove the virus from pig populations because it enters that latency, hides, and does not produce signs,” Pérez explained.
In any case, these farms are also sanitized and the positives are detected by serology and the slaughter is sent. “They are animals that are without signs and the virus can be reactivated under a stressor, such as childbirth, and thus perpetuate itself on the farm if one does not take measures. Therefore, we must eliminate these positives and serological controls until the viral activity is detected through the antibodies,” he added.
Preventive measures
Regarding Senasa’s work, Pérez highlighted that they are working quickly to have regulations that protect the possibility of importing a large number of vaccine doses. However, the great challenge is awareness and communication regarding security measures.
“It always seems that we have to raise awareness about it, mainly training people and disinfecting vehicles. We have to have the guarantee that the animals that enter the farm come from a recognized origin and that it is free,” he explained.
On the other hand, we must work with early notification, that is, they notify when they have signs, which is the way we have to restrict movements to other establishments.
The same with the accredited veterinarian who must present a sanitation plan that establishes all these measures, so that Senasa knows the movements of these farms to the meat processing plants.
“Aujeszky’s plan was on a kind of plateau because these reported cases were not significant in the total and many producers were not aware of it. But, with this situation, in some way all those measures that were planned and that were not so well known by many producers, even accredited veterinarians, are reactivated. That is why public-private coordination is very important in these cases and that is what we are working on to improve the fluidity of information,” Pérez highlighted.
Affection to other animals
Finally, the Senasa representative warned that it is a disease that does not affect men. It is a swine herpes virus, which is a natural host; However, in other animals such as cattle, sheep, dogs and cats, it has a much higher lethality. Therefore, special care must be taken with rodents that also carry it and can infect cats or feed raw visors to dogs, etc.
“We must rest assured that it does not affect human consumption and is not a risk to human health. Pork is considered a safe commodity internationally. So, it is not something that is a concern for the general population,” concluded Alejandro Pérez in dialogue with TO MOTIVATE.
2023-12-02 13:48:00
#Aujeszky #Santa
