The Swine Health Information Center, in collaboration with the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, hosted a webinar highlighting practical approaches for transportation biosecurity on February 18, 2025. Presenters provided applied information on transport biosecurity strategies for swine disease prevention and control. Topics included alternative livestock trailer cleaning methodologies to manage the risk of PEDV introduction, cost effective trailer cleaning and disinfection based on PEDV prevalence and system connectivity, rerouting vehicles as an alternative strategy for transport biosecurity, and implementation of routine market haul transport biosecurity for PEDV control on farm.
View the webinar here.
Presenters offering their expertise included Dr. Edison Magalhaes, Iowa State University,
Dr. Ben Blair, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Dr. Gustavo Machado, North Carolina State University, and Dr. Pete Thomas with Iowa Select Farms. Sharing of information and strategies gained from the SHIC-funded Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program assists producers and their veterinarians in developing the best strategies and practices for biosecurity within and between their farms or systems.
First, Dr. Edison Magalhaes reviewed key results from the US SHIP Transport Biosecurity survey identifying the ongoing need to assess and validate different methods of trailer decontamination for PEDV control. Specifically, the trailers hauling growing pigs for run out loads were shown to be less frequently washed between loads and present an opportunity for improved sanitation.
Dr. Magalhaes went on to share experimental data from an evaluation of trailer cleaning methods for the ability to remove PEDV from a contaminated trailer. The project used a small-scale trailer model to evaluate various washing and decontamination methods. Trailers were uniformly contaminated with slurry containing PEDV-infected feces. Five cleaning methods were assessed including scrape and bake, high volume wash, power wash with disinfectant, and two control treatments. To mimic the transmission and spread of PEDV via personnel, foot traffic between the trailer and the farm site was simulated and samples were collected for PCR and bioassay testing pre- and post-cleaning. Results showed both high volume wash and power wash with disinfectant were most effective in reducing PEDV trailer contamination.
Dr. Blair shared information on determining the best practices that balance disease control and economic feasibility across different swine production scenarios. Two system types were evaluated using computer simulations to model swine production under various conditions. The first scenario focused on a single production system with 24,000 sows across eight sites. The second scenario evaluated a region with 24,000 sows divided into 4 geographically related systems but operationally independent. Simulations evaluated how washing different proportions of trailers at an 80% washing efficacy rate would affect the spread of PEDV.
Scenarios were conducted with PEDV prevalence levels ranging from low (5%), moderate (10%) and high (20%) to see how PEDV prevalence impacted the effectiveness of trailer washing on disease reduction. This study found washing 100% of trailers resulted in the lowest mean number of infected premises in the mixed flow system. In the geographically segregated system, washing zero trailers was the most cost-effective strategy. For interconnected systems or during high PEDV prevalence periods, thorough washing of all trailers is essential. However, in more isolated systems or when PEDV prevalence is low, producers could save costs without compromising biosecurity by washing fewer trailers. Overall, the study showed that optimal strategies depend on individual production settings and regional disease prevalence pressures within that system.
Dr. Machado shared information from recent work examining the role of vehicles in transmitting swine diseases and the potential to rerouting vehicles as an alternative disease mitigation strategy. To mitigate disease transmission events, vehicles undergo cleaning and disinfection (C&D) procedures but C&D effectiveness and the frequency of C&D between farm visits is often unknown. Consequently, relying solely on vehicle C&D may be insufficient to stop the spread of diseases, and supplementary strategies are needed to prevent disease transmission events by contaminated vehicles.
Using GPS data from farms to trace vehicle movements in several pig-dense areas and incorporating PRRSV and PEDV infection status of commercial swine farms, Dr. Machado’s study simulated vehicle movements for 1 week. Vehicle movements included visits to farms, slaughterhouses, feed mills, and parking areas. Rerouting vehicles based on risk decreased deliveries per vehicle and the connectivity among vehicle networks while increasing C&D visits and the distance traveled. Given the severe economic impact of PRRSV, PEDV, and other endemic infectious diseases on swine production, the costs and logistics of a vehicle rerouting system will require a close economic examination. The potential health benefits of reduced disease transmission should be evaluated across traditional versus rerouted vehicle movement schedules.
Dr. Pete Thomas shared the history and challenges associated with PEDV within Iowa Select Farms and the impact of implementing increased transport biosecurity. He noted the gilt acclimation program for PEDV ended in 2022, resulting in a subsequent increase in sow farm outbreaks. Prior to 2023/2024, market hog trailers were washed every fourth load using volume flush and disinfectant. The estimated cost of a PEDV outbreak using 2018 – 2022 data from their system was calculated at $1.15/pig annually due to losses in weight gain and nursery mortality rates.
In week 46 of 2023, the company started washing all market trucks and noted a significant reduction in PEDV outbreaks including farm rebreaks. The washing of all market trucks reduced the break rate from 6% to 2% in 2023-2024. After focused efforts were made for transport sanitation, a significant reduction in outbreaks was noted from 20% (2018-2019) to 2% (2023-2024). In summary, the study showed an 11x reduction in PEDV breaks in marketing after implementing consistent trailer washing. Farms also saw a reduction in rebreak rates in weaned and feeder pigs.
Transportation biosecurity and sanitation play a key role in reducing disease spread and improving the overall health and productivity of swine herds. While the information presented offers valuable guidance, producers are encouraged to adapt biosecurity strategies to their unique production contexts and continuously refine their practices based on ongoing assessments and expert advice. Decontamination strategies should be tailored to address the disease risk within individual farms and production systems.
Additional steps that can enhance biosecurity include performing an assessment of current biosecurity measures with a focus on areas of improvement, tailor decontamination strategies based on disease prevalence in the area considering efficacy and cost, evaluation of rerouting strategies for disease prevention, and then adjusting strategies as needed depending on emerging data and best practices.
The Swine Health Information Center, launched in 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the US swine herd by minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data, and targeted research investments. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. For more information, visit http://www.swinehealth.org or contact Dr. Megan Niederwerder at [email protected] or Dr. Lisa Becton at [email protected].
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