Iowa Embarks on Tough Pseudorabies Attack

July 10, 2000

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge wants pseudorabies eradicated in her state by year’s end and has announced tougher regulations in an effort to achieve that goal. The new law calls for mandatory vaccination, testing and restricted movement in areas where pseudorabies has been detected. Although pseudorabies does not pose a threat to humans, it is a highly contagious disease among hogs and causes numerous problems, including miscarriage, stillbirths and sometimes death.

Currently, vaccination is required for all swine located within three miles of an infected herd. Vaccination must be maintained so long as an infected herd remains within three miles. Vaccination compliance monitoring will be implemented

"As insurance against becoming infected at this stage of the program, I would advise that herds located in parts of the state not subject to mandated vaccination continue to vaccinate their herds," Judge said. Moving pigs from positive herds will not be allowed into counties where pseudorabies does not exist.

"Once a county achieves zero percent prevalence, movement will be restricted into that county; counties that have achieved zero percent prevalence will not lose their controlled movement status if new infection is discovered. Pig flow from positive herds must be to approved premises, per the herd plan, and require permitting of the movement," Judge said.

Swine at non-infected finishing sites must move only to slaughter. Movement to other than slaughter will not be allowed unless the site completes a negative monitoring test and all swine being moved (other than to slaughter) are vaccinated (test and vaccine at owner expense).

Effective Aug. 1, cull sows and boars from infected breeding herds are subject to restricted movement to an approved concentration point or slaughter, and finishers from infected herds and infected finishing sites are subject to restricted movement to an approved concentration point or slaughter.

Also effective Aug. 1, all infected breeding herds must conduct whole herd testing within 15 days of being classified as infected. All "seropositive breeding animals" must be removed to slaughter, by restricted movement, within 15 days of testing. Whole herd testing will be required 30 days after removal of positives until the herd is classified as non-infected. All positive breeding animals identified prior to Aug. 1 must be removed to slaughter, by restricted movement, by Aug. 15.