April 26, 2017

U.S. – Canada Biocontainment Project Objectives and Outcomes

There are multiple, effective transport biosecurity programs used in today’s pork industry but there is no consensus on a baseline set of SOPs that are implementable throughout the industry. Consolidating what is currently available and then writing these SOPs will set that baseline and help to prevent pathogens from moving from first points of concentrations back to the farm via transport vehicles, equipment and people. Engaging producers and industry stakeholders to develop the political will to implement and self-enforce these SOPs will differentiate this project from others authoring the variety of transport biosecurity SOPs already available.

The objectives of this project are to:

Develop transport biocontainment SOPs that are implementable at first points of concentration (packing plants, assembly yards, sow buying and consolidation stations) and that will reduce the likelihood of pathogen transmission from these points of concentration back to the farms.
Engage producers and industry stakeholders to develop the political will to implement and self-enforce these biocontainment SOPs where trucks and people interact with the targeted first points of concentration.

Expected outcomes:

For objective 1:

Detailed description of the typical pig unloading process in the targeted first points of concentration.
List of prioritized risk factors in the unloading process and a risk assessment survey to systematically capture and compare the information between facilities and over time.
Feasible and science-based transport biocontainment SOPs.
Preliminary evaluation of the efficacy of practical technologies to reduce the likelihood of pathogen transmission from the first points of concentration to the livestock transport vehicle.

For objective 2:

A coordinated, industry-wide effort to implement and enforce at least a baseline standard for biocontainment of pathogens at first points of concentration.
Decrease the incidence of disease that can be associated with marketing transportation of pigs and sows to first points of concentration.
Improved communication to and among pig and sow transporters.
Encourage advancements in equipment and technology to address biocontainment in a cost-effective manner.

April 26, 2017

Published by Paul Sundberg at April 26, 2017