Mandatory Reporting of Novel Coronaviruses in Swine

June 6, 2014 — 

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack issued a Federal Order on Thursday June 5 requiring producers, veterinarians and diagnostic labs to report presumptive or confirmed positive occurrences of PEDV, PDCoV, or other novel swine enteric coronaviruses that meet the case definition. An occurrence may be the initial detection of disease or a reoccurrence of previously detected disease. If a sample is submitted to a National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory for testing and is found positive, duplicate reporting by the herd owner, producers, veterinarians, and others with knowledge of the disease is not required. Reporting must be directed to the State Animal Health Official or the APHIS Assistant District Director (previously referred to as the Area Veterinarian in Charge or AVIC) located in the state in which the herd resides.

The following specific reporting information must be submitted:

• Premises identification number (PIN) or an alternative premises location identifier;
• Date of sample collection;
• Type of unit being sampled (e.g. sow, nursery, finisher);
• Test methods used to make the diagnosis; and
• Diagnostic test results.

In addition, the producer must develop and implement, in collaboration with the accredited herd veterinarian, state veterinarian or APHIS veterinarian, a herd management plan that addresses the following:

• Biosecurity of visitors and vehicles entering or exiting the premises
• Monitoring employee biosecurity
• Periodic herd health observation
• Animal movement (both into and out of the herd)
• Cleaning and disinfection of facilities
• Diagnostic testing to monitor the status of the herd infection and assess efficacy of control strategies
• Maintenance of records on pig movement that are accessible to State or Federal Animal Health officials upon request

Herd owners or veterinarians failing to promptly report a presumptive or confirmed positive case or to follow a herd management plan may be subject to civil penalties, revocation of veterinary accreditation and may have additional requirements (hold order, quarantine, permitting or other restrictions for movement of pigs) placed on their premises by State or Federal animal health officials.

The actual Federal Order and additional supporting documents can be found on the USDA website.