Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea Virus Present in Mexico
MEXICO - Unofficial sources report that Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea (PED) is affecting several of the main pork-producing states although the virus has not hit "an excessive number" of farms, according to the latest GAIN report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.
7 March 2014
2 minute read
By: According to private sources, the PED outbreak has hit some of the major producing areas of the country, including Michoacan, Jalisco, and the 'El Bajio' region.
Reportedly, PED hit the city of La Piedad, Michoacan, in July 2013 and spread to the neighbouring state of Jalisco.
Sources indicate that adverse climate conditions with lower temperatures later acted as a vector to spread the virus to the 'El Bajio' states of Guanajuato, Queretaro and to the valley of Mexico and Puebla as well as the northern states of Sinaloa and Sonora.
Despite the geographic spread of PED in Mexico, sources report that the virus has not hit an excessive number of farms.
The virus presence, however, was one of the leading causes for the USDA to revise its loss forecast for 2014 and loss estimate for 2013.
Industry sources report the sector is becoming vigilant with biosecurity measures and looking for vaccination options to prevent the spread of the virus. As such, even greater losses are not yet anticipated.
Despite PED, USDA-FAS is forecasting slightly higher production in 2014 and revised its 2013 estimate greater as swine operations are carrying animals to heavier weights and continuing to introduce better genetics.
