Michigan Department of Ag Officially Closes PRV Response

November 3, 2008 — 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) confirmed PRV infection in 19 sport swine on a privately owned shooting facility in Saginaw County on May 6, 2008. An epidemiological investigation confirmed three additional locations (all transitional swine herds) associated with the first. The incident command unit set up to respond to the disease outbreak by identifying, quarantining, testing, and depopulating four PRV positive transitional swine herds completed the work and was de-commissioned on September 23, 2008. MDA will continue to conduct surveillance testing and if PRV is detected on a shooting facility, a full disease investigation will be conducted, the facility will be depopulated and trace testing will occur.

Testing of 153 premises either inside the four epidemiological circle areas in Cheboygan, Gladwin and Saginaw counties or associated with trace testing from the original PRV positive shooter swine facility in Saginaw County is complete. No additional PRV positive facilities associated with this trace investigation have been confirmed.

All four PRV positive transitional swine herds were destroyed and MDA confirmed all four facilities were depopulated by USDA Wildlife Services on September 23, 2008.

There are 53 Michigan ranches with swine, 37 remain under quarantine. To date 16 quarantines have been lifted. All ranches are required to submit blood samples for disease testing.

Source: Michigan Department of Agriculture, October 24, 2008