Source: UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA submitted to
ON-FARM REMEDIATION AND PREVENTION OF SWINE ENTERIC DISEASES
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1009234
Grant No.
2016-68008-25043
Project No.
NEB-26-223
Proposal No.
2015-09122
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
A1701
Project Start Date
Mar 15, 2016
Project End Date
Mar 14, 2022
Grant Year
2016
Project Director
Schmidt, A.
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA
(N/A)
LINCOLN,NE 68583
Performing Department
Bilogical Systems Engineering
Non Technical Summary
Swine enteric coronavirus diseases, or SECDs, including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)and porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) can cause significant morbidity and mortality which canapproach 100% in naïve pigs. To date, 11,845 positive accessions of PEDV have been identifiedin 33 states (USDA-APHIS) (Figure 1a). Likewise, 742 positive accessions of PDCoV have beenidentified in 19 states (USDA-APHIS) (Figure 1b). The annual impact to the United States fromSECDs is estimated to be $900 million to $8 billion due to nearly 100% death loss in infectedpiglets. Significant losses of productivity occur in growing animals, in addition to increased fixedcapital costs and negative impacts on trade (Paarlberg, 2014). The pork industry has concededthat the USDA alone cannot be expected to protect the industry from emerging diseases and thatenhanced industry and state-level response coordination is critical to control the spread of PEDVand other swine enteric coronavirus diseases (SECD) throughout the United States.Effective internal and external biosecurity practices are the best way to prevent outbreaks andcontrol the spread of SECDs, such as PEDV. Extensive PEDV-related research funded by theNational Pork Board and other organizations since the arrival of PEDV in the U.S. has yieldedevidence-based techniques for decontamination and control of PEDV and other swine entericviruses at various critical control points (CCPs) within the farm system. However, a substantial gapexists in understanding how to holistically integrate these recommendations to most effectivelydecontaminate and remediate a farm prior to repopulation to prevent subsequent outbreaks, asthis has not previously been addressed with best practices in a uniform manner. Additionally, aspart of the Federal Order issued on June 5, 2014, SECD positive premises are required todevelop and implement a herd management plan with their veterinarian. However, specificrecommendations were not issued and were left to the producer and herd veterinarian todevelop. This leaves a significant knowledge gap between discovery and implementation ofevidenced-based on-farm practices and the efficacy and economic impact of such practices.Finally, the inherent need for focusing swine disease control efforts on prevention rather thanremediation provides a strong incentive for increased information sharing among producers in thepork industry that includes economic incentives for implementing farm-level biosecurity practices.Such knowledge would provide translational benefits that would be applicable to a wide rangeof infectious agents, foreign or domestic.Our goals in this application are to: 1) verify the effectiveness offarm-level implementation of practices for decontamination andremediation following a PEDV outbreak and implementation ofbiosecurity practices following repopulation or achievement ofdisease-free status, and 2) create a culture of "vigilantpreparedness and prevention" among swine producers to minimize impacts of future diseaseoutbreaks. Research has illustrated that SECDs have similar risk factors, including transmissibilityand how they respond to decontamination and control strategies; therefore, we believe usingPEDV as a model for determining the effectiveness of a holistic farm-level remediation approachfor SECDs is defensible. Based upon the outcomes of many independent studies on PEDVdecontamination and prevention strategies, our central hypothesis is that a holistic, multi-facetedapproach to decontamination of PEDV-positive farms with producer-led promotion of farm-levelbiosecurity planning will positively impact the control of PEDV and other SEDCs throughout theU.S.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
80%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
3153510110150%
3073510106050%
Knowledge Area
307 - Animal Management Systems; 315 - Animal Welfare/Well-Being and Protection;

Subject Of Investigation
3510 - Swine, live animal;

Field Of Science
1101 - Virology; 1060 - Biology (whole systems);
Goals / Objectives
Our goals in this application are to:1) verify the effectiveness offarm-level implementation of practices for decontamination andremediation following a PEDV outbreak and implementation ofbiosecurity practices following repopulation or achievement ofdisease-free status.2) create a culture of "vigilantpreparedness and prevention" among swine producers to minimize impacts of future diseaseoutbreaks.Objectives of the project include:
Project Methods
Existing relationships will provide the basis for establishing a network of individuals thatwill commit to identifying and quickly notifying the project team of presumptive positive andconfirmed positive case of PEDV. Upon confirmation of PEDV on a site, the project team will workwith an individual at the local or regional scale that has an established relationship with the farm(herd veterinarian, state pork association directors and board members, etc.) to requestparticipation in the process of decontaminating the site and monitoring for PEDV following farmre-population.We anticipate responding to notification of positive siteswithin one week of primary diagnosis to facilitate the pre-decontamination assessment,decontamination activities, and immediate post-decontamination assessment as described in thefollowing pages.Critical control points within the farm system that will be the focus of decontamination andsurveillance activities throughout the project are illustrated in Figure 3. SECD decontamination andbiosecurity practices to be utilized at these CCPs will be selected for each cooperating producer'sfarm based on farm-specific characteristics. Further details on sampling methodology,preparation for analysis and analysis procedures for these surveillance samples are described infollowing proposal sections.In addition to conducting decontamination practices on the farms, an important aspect ofcontrolling the farm's exposure to subsequent diseases lies in developing and implementing aneffective biosecurity plan. Producers will be tasked with developing their farm-level biosecurityplan, with assistance from project team members and their herd veterinarian, based upon theactivities completed under Extension Task 1.2. Along with addressing pest control, worker hygiene,and animal health surveillance, producers will be encouraged to define "lines of separation" atCCPs within the system (e.g. at the loading chute of production buildings) and describe theirintended methods for communicating theirline of separation "rules" to farm visitors and enforcingthe procedures on the farm.Surveillance of PEDV prior to decontamination activities will occur.PEDVabundance will be determined in housing facilities (walls, floors, worker rooms, etc.), in livestock,on vehicles, and in manure storages, manure conveyance equipment, and mortality handlingequipment through direct sampling and wipe testing of surfaces to determine the extent of PEDVprevalence on the farm.Based on our research tasks, the total cost of conducting each on-farm decontamination andremediation will be analyzed. This will determine the total economic impacts of PEDV outbreak onindividual pork producers. In order to determine the total cost several factors will be considered.These factors include, but are not limited to, the expenses associated with decontaminating thefacility such as disposal of animals, cost of disinfectants, cost of potential disposal of stored feed,and labor for these activities. Other costs include lost revenue from downtime associated with de-populating and re-populating the facility, purchase of heaters to facilitate adequate drying ofbuildings following decontamination, purchase of replacement gilts, increased diagnostic testing tomonitor animal health and associated overhead costs. One key factor to consider includes not onlythe current value lost on animals that must be euthanized but also the potential future lost revenuestream from decreased productivity in grow-finish pigs and sows. A cost analysis will beconducted for each swine facility and aggregated based on a representative operation.A cost-benefit analysis will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of farm-level control andmitigation strategies for PEDV. A risk assessment will be conducted to determine the probabilityof a farm that has implemented a biosecurity plan becoming infected with anSECD compared to a farm that has not implemented the plan. Methods developed for riskanalysis related to highly pathogenic avian influenza will be referenced for this risk analysis(personal communication with APHIS). The costs to develop the preventative plans will then becompared to the costs of not having a preventative plan and becoming infected with an SECD.The analysis will determine the potential benefits from creating a biosecurity plan to prevent thelikelihood of SECDs occurring on the farm. A sensitivity analysis will also be conducted todetermine the effect of biosecurity implementation on profitability. Further analysis to assess risksassociated with individual components of a biosecurity plan will be conducted using data on thedisease-prevention procedures currently in place on swine farms. This data will be acquired via asurvey.To truly capitalize on the networkingconcept presented for outreach activities, producer involvement is necessary from the verybeginning. Two major integrators in the state of Nebraska have contributed letters of support forthis proposal and are eager to participate in the research and outreach components if the projectis funded. Additional pork producers from states outside Nebraska and swine veterinarians whowork closely with producers to facilitate good production practices on the farm will be invited towork with the project team to drive the development of practical and suitable outputs. The projectteam anticipates populating this advisory team with approximately 12 individuals representing atleast six pork-producing states. All PDs have established relationships with producers, universityeducators, and veterinarians in the pork industry; therefore, identifying willing participants fromthroughout the pork industry is expected to be relatively simple. Special effort will be employedto include small-scale and niche producers on this team as they may have different preferences ormethods for receiving industry-related information.Communication and networking with these individuals will be accomplished through conferencecalls and online meeting collaborations to minimize meeting-related expenses. The team will beestablished and meet via distance within the first three months of the project and bi-annually thereafter.Using information provided by the team, the basic components and structure of a comprehensiveand effective farm-level biosecurity plan will be created. Specific practices and strategiesavailable for addressing each of the components of the plan will then be identified. The result ofthis effort will be a complete template for developing a farm-level biosecurity plan with optionsprovided as inputs to populate the plan. Should this project be funded, additional funds will besought from state or national pork producer organizations or another relevant source to supportdevelopment of a web-based biosecurity plan development tool.Program evaluation will be directed by PD Schmidt with assistance from project team membersand Nebraska Extension. The impact of the program activities relative to their stated goals andobjectives will be assessed in the summative evaluation. Progress toward producing promiseddeliverables will be tracked to measure change in the amount of farm-level biosecurity planningmaterial available and disseminated. Research outputs will also be tracked, including the numberof publications and presentations resulting from the research.

Progress 03/15/16 to 03/14/22

Outputs
Target Audience:U.S. pork producers, veterinary professionals, and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/or environmental management are the primary audience for the outputs of this project. However, our efforts have reached into Canada where PEDV is still a major issue and help is being sought from our team to identify potential remedies to their situations. In the final year of the project, research was expanded to address concerns about PEDV survivability in stored lagoon sludge and effluent. Approximately 7 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing two major swine integrators in the state of Nebraska were cooperators on this final research effort. Approximately 16 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing three cooperating commercial swine farms were reached through interactions related to our on-farm research. These operations included one site in Illinois and two sites in Nebraska. Among these individuals, ninewere of latino origin. Approximately 26,000 swine producers and allied industry members in the U.S. and Canada were reached through articles in several trade publications, radio interviews, television appearances, and National Pork Board publications. Approximately 1,200 university researchers, extension personnel, ARS researchers and allied industry members were reached through professional conference presentations, posters and other outputs at two international conferences: the annual international meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Sixth International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training of graduate and undergraduate students in animal science, biomedical sciencesand veterinary medicineincreased knowledge among participants in the mechanisms by which the PED virus is inactivated andimproved skills among these participants to analyze environmental samples for PED viral RNA and conduct live swine bioassays to determine the infectivity of treated samples. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results and practice recommendations were disseminated to swine veterinarians and other swine health professionals via two journal publications, National Pork Board special bulletins on PEDV, guest lectures and conference presentations. Producer audiences received practice recommendations resulting from this research via National Pork Board publications, National Hog Farmer magazine, state swine association publications, and direct interactions with the research team during web-based and face-to-face presentations and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? A field survey was conducted at three midwestern swine production facilities to assess the effectiveness of industry recommended practices to decontaminate after an incidence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) at the facilities. Samples were collected inside and outside each production site before facility decontamination, after decontamination, and for 18 months after the outbreak from production area surfaces (alleyways, pen floors, and pen rails); office and breakroom surfaces; and vehicle and farm equipment surfaces. Animal fluid samples (rectal swabs and oral fluids), biological samples (mortality compost and leachate, stored manure, mortality holding areas, and others) and soils receiving manure application were also collected. At the initial time of the outbreak in each facility, PEDv was detected (qPCR) in 95% of the tested surface samples collected from pig production areas, in 60% of the break room and office area samples, and 0% of the samples collected outside the production facility. After facility decontamination, rectal swab samples collected at four weeks post-decontamination from farrowing sows at NE-02 and IL-01 (breed-to-wean sow farms) were positive for PEDv. No positive results were reported for NE-01 (grow-finish pig farm) following decontamination. No PEDv was detected from any samples after four weeks post-decontamination, including soil samples. We conclude that current decontamination practices help control PEDv outbreaks and limit the potential for reinfection from sources initially contaminated during a previous outbreak. Practice recommendations resulting from the completion of this research contributed to offsetting up to $8 billion in annual economic impact on the U.S. from PEDV. Audience members (95%) reported moderate to significant knowledge gain about managing manure to mitigate PEDV; 81% reported being likely/very likely to make or recommend manure management changes for PEDV control. In 2021, sampling of lagoon sludge and effluent from nine swine lagoons with history of positive PED cases in the prior three to twelve months was completed to identify PED viral material in these storages. No PED viral RNA was detected in any of the samples via qPCR, supporting the hypothesis that application of stored sludge or effluent is unlikely to serve as a vector for PEDV infections in naive herds.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stevens, E.E., D.N. Miller, B.A. Brittenham, S.J. Vitosh-Sillman, B.W. Brodersen, V.L. Jin, J.D. Loy, and A.M. Schmidt. 2018. Alkaline stabilization of manure slurry inactivates porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. J. Swine Health Prod. 26(2): 95-100.
  • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Boyles, E.E. Surveillance and evaluation of manure treatment practices for mitigation of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in a commercial swine farm setting. A thesis presented to the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Vitosh-Sillman, S., E.E. Boyles, J.D. Loy, B.W. Brodersen, C. Kelling, K. Eskridge, and A.M. Schmidt. 2018. Effectiveness of composting as a biosecure disposal method for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-infected pig carcasses. Sixth International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management, June 3-7, 2018, Amarillo, Texas, USA.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Schmidt, A.M. 2018. Animal agriculture: Regulations, risk management and sustainability. School of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, April 6, 2018.


Progress 03/15/20 to 03/14/21

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, research was expanded to address concerns about PEDV survivability in stored lagoon sludge and effluent. Approximately 7 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing two major swine integrators in the state of Nebraska were cooperators on this final research effort. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One new undergraduate student and two graduate students of Dr. Schmidt's were involved in sample collection and data analysis. Prior to their participation in this study, these students were unfamiliar with anaerobic lagoon sampling procedures, handling of samples prior to qPCR analysis, and evaluation of qPCR data. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Journal manuscripts are in preparation to report on the latest data acquired through this project. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Our goals are to: 1) verify the effectiveness offarm-level implementation of practices for decontamination andremediation following a PEDV outbreak and implementation ofbiosecurity practices following repopulation or achievement ofdisease-free status. 2) create a culture of "vigilantpreparedness and prevention" among swine producers to minimize impacts of future diseaseoutbreaks. To determine potential vectors for infection of naive swine herds by PEDV, sampling of swine lagoon sludge and effluent was performed at nine swine manure storage lagoons on six commercial swine operations in Nebraska. No PED viral RNA was detected in any of the samples, supporting the team's prior assertion that manure from infected animals does not appear to be a transmission risk for PEDV beyond the period of the active PEDV outbreak.

Publications


    Progress 03/15/19 to 03/14/20

    Outputs
    Target Audience:Pork producers, veterinary professionals and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/orenvironmental management are the primary audience for the outputs related to this project as initially funded. Changes/Problems:Sampling of storage lagoons receiving manure from PEDV-infected pigs was added to the project when a no-cost extension was granted in 2020. This data is critical to determining the viability of infectious PED virus in lagoon storages following a PEDV outbreak. Data published by other researchers in the last couple of years has indicated that the virus remains infectious in stored lagoon sludge, though their work did not include a live animal bioassay to confirm infectivity of samples found to be positive for PEDV via qPCR. The request for approval of a NCE and revised POW was submitted in January 2020 to fund this additional research; however, approval was not granted until July 2020. This delayed response from NIFA, coupled with restrictions attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, prevented our team from completing the proposed 2020 activities under Objective 1 of the proposal. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?With the activities proposed under the revised plan of work, there will be an opportunity for at least one undergraduate student worker within PI Schmidt's research group to engage in and learn fromlagoon sampling activities, sample processing, PCR analysis and live animal bioassay trials. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?No new information was disseminated during the past year due to project activity limitations caused by COVID-19 and the delayed approval for a NCE and revised POW. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Pending 1) approval of an additional NCE for one year; and 2) relaxed restrictions on travel and university facility use due to COVID-19, sampling trips will be performed to collect stored lagoon sludge and effluent samples fromthesix swine farms identified in late 2020. These samples will be analyzed via qPCR to determine concentrations of viral RNA followed bya live pig bioassay to determine actual infectivity of samples.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? In response to data published by a different research teamin 2019, a no-cost extension and a revised plan of work for this projectwere submitted for review during 2020. The published work in question involved sampling sludge and liquid layers of swine lagoons on farms in Canada where PEDV outbreaks had previously been documented. The researchers analyzed the samples via PCR to identify the presence of PED viral RNA and concluded that the presence of viral RNA equated to the lagoon contents being a vector for PEDv proliferation. However, our team's previous work on this project has shown that the detection of viral RNA in a sample does not necessarily equate to the sample being capable of causing infection in live pigs. Therefore, our NCE and revised plan of work are intended to support a project that will address the connection between positive PCR results and actual infectivity of the reservoir of PEDV. In response to data published by a different research team in 2019, a no-cost extension (NCE) and a revised plan of work (POW) for this project were submitted for review during 2020. The published work in question involved sampling sludge and liquid layers of swine lagoons on farms in Canada where PEDV outbreaks had previously been documented. The researchers analyzed the samples via PCR to identify the presence of PED viral RNA and concluded that the presence of viral RNA equated to the lagoon contents being a vector for PEDv proliferation. However, our team's previous work on this project has shwon that the detection of viral RNA in manure does not necessarily equate to the manure being capable of causing PEDV infection in live pigs. Therefore, our NCE and revised POW are intended to support a project that will address the connection between positive PCR results and actual infectivity of manure as a reservoir of PED virus. Please note that the NCE and revised POW were submitted in January 2020, but were not officially approved until July 2020 due to personnel changes within NIFA. Under Objective 1, six swine farmswere identified in late 2020 from which stored lagoon sludge and effluent can be sampled to test for infective PED virus particles. Due to University of Nebraska restrictions on travel and facility usage due to COVID-19,along withstatewide restrictions and farm operator preferences, sampling of lagoons at these farms has not been completed.

    Publications


      Progress 03/15/16 to 03/14/19

      Outputs
      Target Audience:U.S. pork producers, veterinary professionals, and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/or environmental management are the primary audience for the outputs of this project. However, our efforts have reached into Canada where PEDV is still a major issue and help is being sought from our team to identify potential remedies to their situations. Approximately 16 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing three cooperating commercial swine farms were reached through interactions related to our on-farm research. These operations included one site in Illinois and two sites in Nebraska. Among these individuals, ninewere of latino origin. Approximately 26,000 swine producers and allied industry members in the U.S. and Canada were reached through articles in several trade publications, radio interviews, television appearances, and National Pork Board publications. Approximately 1,200 university researchers, extension personnel, ARS researchers and allied industry members were reached through professional conference presentations, posters and other outputs at two international conferences: the annual international meeting of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and the Sixth International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Training of graduate and undergraduate students in animal science, biomedical sciencesand veterinary medicineincreased knowledge among participants in the mechanisms by which the PED virus is inactivated andimproved skills among these participants to analyze environmental samples for PED viral RNA and conduct live swine bioassays to determine the infectivity of treated samples. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results and practice recommendations were disseminated to swine veterinarians and other swine health professionals via two journal publications, National Pork Board special bulletins on PEDV, guest lectures and conference presentations. Producer audiences received practice recommendations resulting from this research via National Pork Board publications, National Hog Farmer magazine, state swine association publications, and direct interactions with the research team during web-based and face-to-face presentations and consultations. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The final stage of the project to be completed during the next reporting period will involve completing the economic analysis to assess cost:benefits of disease prevention versus disease remediation efforts on commercial swine farms. Results of this research activitiy will be developed for publication and presented at professional meetings during the coming year, delivered to pork producers via popular press and industry communications, and shared with undergraduate and graduate students via existing swine and veterinary health related courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? A field survey was conducted at three midwestern swine production facilities to assess the effectiveness of industry recommended practices to decontaminate after an incidence of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) at the facilities. Samples were collected inside and outside each production site before facility decontamination, after decontamination, and for 18 months after the outbreak from production area surfaces (alleyways, pen floors, and pen rails); office and breakroom surfaces; and vehicle and farm equipment surfaces. Animal fluid samples (rectal swabs and oral fluids), biological samples (mortality compost and leachate, stored manure, mortality holding areas, and others) and soils receiving manure application were also collected. At the initial time of the outbreak in each facility, PEDv was detected (qPCR) in 95% of the tested surface samples collected from pig production areas, in 60% of the break room and office area samples, and 0% of the samples collected outside the production facility. After facility decontamination, rectal swab samples collected at four weeks post-decontamination from farrowing sows at NE-02 and IL-01 (breed-to-wean sow farms) were positive for PEDv. No positive results were reported for NE-01 (grow-finish pig farm) following decontamination. No PEDv was detected from any samples after four weeks post-decontamination, including soil samples. We conclude that current decontamination practices help control PEDv outbreaks and limit the potential for reinfection from sources initially contaminated during a previous outbreak. Practice recommendations resulting from the completion of this research contributed to offsetting up to $8 billion in annual economic impact on the U.S. from PEDV. Audience members (95%) reported moderate to significant knowledge gain about managing manure to mitigate PEDV; 81% reported being likely/very likely to make or recommend manure management changes for PEDV control.

      Publications

      • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Stevens, E.E., D.N. Miller, B.A. Brittenham, S.J. Vitosh-Sillman, B.W. Brodersen, V.L. Jin, J.D. Loy, and A.M. Schmidt. 2018. Alkaline stabilization of manure slurry inactivates porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. J. Swine Health Prod. 26(2): 95-100.
      • Type: Theses/Dissertations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Boyles, E.E. Surveillance and evaluation of manure treatment practices for mitigation of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in a commercial swine farm setting. A thesis presented to the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Vitosh-Sillman, S., E.E. Boyles, J.D. Loy, B.W. Brodersen, C. Kelling, K. Eskridge, and A.M. Schmidt. 2018. Effectiveness of composting as a biosecure disposal method for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-infected pig carcasses. Sixth International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management, June 3-7, 2018, Amarillo, Texas, USA.
      • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Schmidt, A.M. 2018. Animal agriculture: Regulations, risk management and sustainability. School of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, April 6, 2018.


      Progress 03/15/18 to 03/14/19

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Pork producers, veterinary professionals and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/or environmental management are the primary audience for the outputs related to this project. During year 2 of this project, the following audiences were reached: An Advisory Board comprised of 14 swine industry professionals representing commercial swine operations, veterinary medical practices, the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and the Swine Health Information Center met once via web-based meeting and through multiple one-on-one face-to-face and phone calls with team members. Approximately 20 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing three cooperating commercial swine farms were reached through interactions related to our on-farm research. These operations include one site in Illinois and two sites in Nebraska. Approximately 26,000 swine producers and allied industry members were reached through articles in several trade publications,radio broadcasts, and television appearances. Approximately 1,200 university researchers and allied industry members were reached through professional conference presentations, posters, and other outputs at two international conferences. Changes/Problems:No major changes were required; however, a delay in obtaining economic data from cooperating producers forced the extension of the project period to one additional year. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been widely disseminated through state and national swine industry publications, radio broadcasts, popular press articles, television appearances (regionally in Nebraska), one-on-one consultations with producers and swine herd health specialists, and through refereed journal articles published in swine production-related journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The economic analysis of disease prevention vs. remediation will be completed. Results of the economic analysis coupled with research outputs will be disseminated to intended audiences using multiple outreach methods. And, a survey of swine professionals throughout the U.S. andCanada will be completed to assess the impact of project outputs on prevention and remediation of swine enteric diseases.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? GOAL #1. Analysis of data from on-farm research at three cooperating commercial swine operations in Nebraska and Illinois was completed in 2018. The research involved collecting production area surface swabs, animal fluids, manure, personnel area surfaces, equipment surfaces, personal vehicle surfaces, and manure-amended soil at the outbreak of PEDv, following facility depopulation and sanitation, immediately following re-population of the facilities, every other week for 10 weeks following repopulation, and at 6-, 12- and 18-months post disease incidence. Results of the surveillance activities revealed that PED virus was non-detectable in the monitored samples immediately following facility sanitation and for the remainder of the surveillance period (18 months). GOAL #2. Results of the research activities were presented to swine producers, swine health specialists, and producer advisors through popular press, conference presentations, trade publications, direct consultation, and other methods. The impact of the outreach activities will be assessed in the final year of the project via survey methods. Economic information necessary to assess the cost:benefit of prevention vs. remediation has been collected from cooperating farms and is being analyzed for use in planned outreach activities.

      Publications

      • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: E.E. Boyles, D.N. Miller, B.A. Brittenham, S.J. Vitosh-Sillman, B.W. Brodersen, V.L. Jin, J.D. Loy and A.M. Schmidt. 2018. Alkaline stabilization of manure slurry inactivates porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Journal of Swine Health and Production 26(2): 95-100. http://www.aasv.org/shap.html


      Progress 03/15/17 to 03/14/18

      Outputs
      Target Audience: Pork producers, veterinary professionals and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/or environmental management are the primary audience for the outputs related to this project. During year 2of this project, the following audiences were reached: An Advisory Board comprised of 14 swine industry professionalsrepresenting commercial swine operations, veterinary medical practices, the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and the Swine Health Information Center met once via web-based meeting and through multiple one-on-one face-to-face and phone calls with team members. Approximately 20 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing three cooperating commercial swine farms were reached through interactions related to our on-farm research. These operations include one site in Illinois and two sites in Nebraska. Approximately 26,000 swine producers and allied industry memberswere reached through articles in several trade publications,radio broadcasts, and television appearances. Approximately 1,200 university researchers and allied industry members were reached through professional conference presentations, posters, and other outputs at two international conferences. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results have been widely disseminated through state and national swine industry publications, radio broadcasts, popular press articles, television appearances (regionally in Nebraska), one-on-one consultations with producers and swine herd health specialists, and through refereed journal articles published in swine production-related journals. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The economic analysis of disease prevention vs. remediation will be completed. Results of the economic analysis coupled with research outputs will be disseminated to intended audiences using multiple outreach methods. And, a survey of swine professionals throughout the U.S. and Canada will be completed to assess the impact of project outputs on prevention and remediation of swine enteric diseases.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? GOAL #1. On-farm research at three cooperating commercial swine operations in Nebraska and Illinois was completed in October 2017. The research involved collecting production area surface swabs, animal fluids, manure, personnel area surfaces, equipment surfaces, personal vehicle surfaces, and manure-amended soil at the outbreak of PEDv, following facility depopulation and sanitation, immediately following re-population of the facilities, every other week for 10 weeks following re-population, and at 6-, 12- and 18-months post disease incidence. Samples were transported to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for PCR analysis to identify any presence of the PEDv viral genome within these surveilled areas of the farms. Results of the surveillance activities revealed that biosecurity practices implemented during and after PEDv outbreaks on these cooperating farms successfully eliminated infectious viral material in the matrices tested. GOAL #2. Results of the research activities were presented to swine producers, swine health specialists, and producer advisors through popular press, conference presentations, trade publications, direct consultation, and other methods. The impact of the outreach activities will be assessed in the final year of the project (year 3) via survey methods. Economic information necessary to assess the cost:benefit of prevention vs. remediation has been collected from cooperating farms and is being analyzed for use in planned outreach activities.

      Publications

      • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: S.J. Vitosh-Sillman, J.D. Loy, B. Brodersen, C. Kelling, K. Eskridge and A.M. Schmidt. 2017. Effectiveness of composting as a biosecure mortality disposal method for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-infected pig carcasses. Porcine Health Management. 3:22. http://doi.org/10.1186/s40813-017-0068-z
      • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2017 Citation: E.E. Stevens, D.N. Miller, B.A. Brittenham1, S.J. Vitosh-Sillman, B.W. Brodersen, V.L. Jin, J.D. Loy and A.M. Schmidt. Alkaline stabilization of manure slurry inactivates porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Journal of Swine Health.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Schmidt, A.M., D. Miller, J.D. Loy, and E.E. Stevens. 2017. Composting as a biosecure disposal method for PEDv-infected pig carcasses. Proceedings of the 2017 Annual International Meeting of the American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers, Spokane, WA.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Schmidt, A.M., D. Miller, J.D. Loy, and E.E. Stevens. 2017. Survivability of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) in manure and manure-amended soil. Proceedings of the 2017 Annual International Meeting of the American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers, Spokane, WA.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Miller, D., A. Schmidt, J.D. Loy, and V. Jin. Manure treatment and natural inactivation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in soils. Third International Conference on Livestock and Poultry Environmental Quality, Raleigh, NC, USA, April 19, 2017.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Stevens, E., A. Schmidt, D. Miller, J.D. Loy and V. Jin. 2017. Manure treatment and natural inactivation of PEDV in soils. Third International Conference on Livestock and Poultry Environmental Quality, Raleigh, NC, USA, April 19, 2017.
      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Miller, D., A. Schmidt, J.D. Loy, and V. Jin. Manure treatment and natural inactivation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in soils. 16th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, International Society for Microbial Ecology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 2016.


      Progress 03/15/16 to 03/14/17

      Outputs
      Target Audience:Pork producers, veterinary professionals and swine industry advisors with expertise in animal health, facilities, and/or environmental managementare the primary audience for the outputs related to this project. During year 1 of this project, the following audiences were reached: An Advisory Board comprised of 14 swine industry professionals was established. Members of this group representcommercial swine operations, veterinary medical practices, the National Pork Board, the National Pork Producers Council, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and the Swine Health Information Center. Web-based meetings of this group were conducted during project year 1. Approximately 20 individuals with direct responsibility for livestock and manure management representing fourcooperating commercial swine farms were reached through interactions related toouron-farm research. These operations include one site in Illinois and three sites in Nebraska. Approximately 5,000 swine producers were reached through each of two articles related to the project that were published in popular press. Approximately 500 university researchers and allied industry members were reached through professional conference outputs. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Animal Science graduate student who is primarily responsible for managing the on-farm research component of the project has received training in laboratory skills necessary for assessing on-farm samples for presence of the PED virus. This training has occurred through reviews of relevant literature on laboratory assessment methods and through hands-on training and participation in sample analyses. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research results from on-farm surveillance activitiesto date have been shared primarily with cooperating producers and their herd health specialists. Broader research results - related to methods of manure and mortalitiy management demonstrated as effective in controlling PEDv - have been shared with pork producers, veterinary professionals, and Extension Educators via existing university training programs, popular press articles, and media interviews. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Under Goal #1: Surveillance activities onthe four cooperating commercial swine production facilities will continue in the coming year with final sampling scheduled to occur in fall 2017, coinciding with 18-months post-PEDV outbreak for each site. Data analysis from these surveillance activities will continue. If appropriate, laboratory trials may be conducted to verify the most effective strategies for surface disinfection, manure storage and treatment, manure land application, carcass disposal, etc. Under Goal #2: The industry-wide survey that is currently in draft form will be completed and distributed to a randomly selected group of U.S. pork producers to determine current knowledge and practices related to swine enteric coronoavirus disease prevention and remediation. The economic survey that has been distributed to cooperating pork producers will be completed cooperatively between the producers and the graduate students working on this project under the direction of Dr. Kate Brooks, Ag Economist.

      Impacts
      What was accomplished under these goals? Under Goal #1: Four commercial swine production facilities in Illinois and Nebraska began cooperating with our research team upon confirmation of PEDV infection on each during 2016. Samples from animals, buiding surfaces, manure storages, equipment, vehicles, employee common areas, office areas, mortality disposal sites, and agricultural soils receiving manure application were collected immediately following confirmation of the outbreaks, immediately following completion of industry-recommended depopulation and disinfection protocols, and during the twelve months following the initial outbreaks. Data collected thus farm has demonstrated no re-emergence of the virus following the initial outbreak at each site. Under Goal #2: An Advisory Board consisting of 14 experts from within the swine industry was established and met during 2016. Team members are working closely with thisgroup to identify up to four swine producers to serve as advocates for on-farm biosecurity planning and implementation of industry-recommended practices. To assess the economic impact of farm-level PEDV remediation practices, an economic survey was developed in 2016 and distributed to cooperating producers. Upon securing a master's-level Ag Economicsgraduate student (underway and expected by summer 2017), this student will work closely with the Animal Science graduate student funded by this project to follow up with cooperators and assist with their completion of the economic survey. Under Goal #2: To assess the present situation among commercial pork producersof effectively planning and implementing on-farm biosecurity practices, a draft survey has been created by team members and is under review by project members and program assessment experts. This survey is intended for distribution during summer 2017 and will serve as a baseline for quantifying changes in knowledge and behaviors among pork producers and their advisors resulting from project outreach activities.

      Publications

      • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Miller, D., A. Schmidt, J.D. Loy, and V. Jin. Manure treatment and natural inactivation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus in soils. 16th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, International Society for Microbial Ecology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, August 2016.