USDA Links Virus That Killed Millions of Pigs to Reusable Feed Bags

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) has linked a 2013-2014 outbreak of porcine
epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) that killed more than 7 million piglets
to Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBCs), the reusable tote bags
used to transport and store pig feed. According to an APHIS report,
which seeks to explain why PEDv occurred in the United States but not
Canada or the European Union, the bags were most likely contaminated
in their origin country before distribution to feed mill customers across
the Midwest, where they contaminated “feed or ingredients destined for
delivery to the farm.”

“Several of the farm investigations as well as an early case-control study
suggested feed or feed delivery as the source of the outbreak; however,
there were no common feed manufacturers, products, or ingredients in
the initially infected herds,” states the report, which notes that the PEDv
strain found in the United States matched a similar strain from China.
“In addition to meeting the investigation criteria, the contaminated FIBC
scenario explains the apparent anomalous association of the epidemic to
feed.”

Issue 580