The Government of Canada has announced a C$3.1 million investment in swine health surveillance to help the pork sector detect disease earlier and respond faster. The project is led by the Atlantic Veterinary College with the Canadian Pork Council and partners across veterinary medicine, laboratories, industry and government.

Three pieces of work are funded. The first is diagnostic technology: laboratory tests able to detect multiple swine viruses in a single sample, giving veterinarians accurate results faster. The second is a national proficiency programme so that laboratories across Canada follow common testing standards and a result means the same thing wherever the sample was run.

The third is a secure national database collecting information on swine disease and virus activity, so researchers and industry can watch trends, recognise emerging threats and act on reliable data rather than scattered reports. A coordinated Atlantic Canada surveillance approach is part of the design.

"Early swine health detection is one of our strongest defences in protecting our herd and maintaining affordable and high-quality Canadian pork products," said Rene Roy, chair of the Canadian Pork Council. Elizabeth Dobbin, principal investigator and director of the college's diagnostic services laboratory, said the work would give veterinarians and producers timely information to protect herd health against endemic and emerging threats.

Agriculture Minister Heath MacDonald said the funding equips the industry with the tools it needs to detect and respond quickly, and reflects Ottawa's aim of a resilient, innovative and globally competitive pork sector.

Photo: SteveStrummer / Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

Source: Farms.com