Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea a reportable disease in Alberta

Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea, or PED as it is widely known as, is a highly contagious viral disease of pigs.

“PED causes diarrhea in pigs of all ages, but is especially severe in young piglets, in fact there are high mortality rates in young piglets because of this disease,” says Dr. Gerald Hauer, Chief Provincial Veterinarian. “There is currently an outbreak of this disease in the United States, and more than a million young pigs have succumbed already.

“As of January 23, 2014, only one case of PED has been confirmed in Canada, in Ontario. There have been no cases diagnosed in Alberta; however, there is concern of the disease spreading due to the movement of animals, trucks and equipment back and forth across borders. It is important to note that PED does not affect other types of animals or people, but it is a very severe disease of pigs.”


PED has the potential of causing significant economic loss to individual producers and the industry as a whole. Because of the potential to cause severe economic losses in the province, the Chief Provincial Veterinarian has determined that this should be a reportable disease.

“As of January 20, 2014, all cases of suspect or known PED need to be reported to the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian,” says Hauer. “Producer cooperation in reporting this disease will help my office assist the industry in trying to minimize the risk of the disease spreading and keep it from becoming widespread in Alberta.”

A disease is designated a reportable disease for a number of reasons so that specific protocols and responses can be actioned by the Office of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian. Each reportable disease has a specific response plan that dictates the activities that will be set in motion once the disease is reported.

“If a case of PED is reported, my office will work with the effected producer to implement the disease control measures to minimize the risk of the disease spreading off the farm,” says Hauer. “We plan to work with local veterinarians to provide advice to producers on the best management practices and biosecurity measures that need to be put in place to do that.

“While we will not be quarantining nor placing movement restrictions on the farm, we will be working with the producer and the processor to make sure that healthy pigs from the affected farm can still go to market.”

Producers need to be aware of this disease and, if they see any pigs with diarrhea, they should contact their veterinarian. Not all cases of diarrhea in pigs or piglets are PED as there are many cause of diarrhea in pigs, but talking to a veterinarian and having laboratory testing done is essential to ensure that it is not PED.

Related links:
PED - Notice to Veterinarians and Pork Producers
Alberta Pork Hosting PEDv In-Person Meetings for Producers Starting Next Week