It’s well known that PEDV (porcine epidemic diarrhea virus) is transmitted by fecal contact. However, in situations where producers have high biosecurity standards, PEDV breaks can still take place…why is this happening? Could PEDV also be airborne?

That question challenged the combined minds of University of Minnesota Swine Disease Eradication Center scientists Carmen Alonso, Montserrat Torremorell, Peter Raynor, Dane Goede, and Peter Davies. In March, 2014 the team documented and released information confirming that PEDV can be airborne and infectious when airborne.

This same team was already working on air decontamination technologies to reduce the load of influenza and PRRS viruses from the air and they expanded the study to include PEDV.

With funding by the UMN College of Veterinary Medicine, the National Pork Board, and the Swine Disease Eradication Center, this research team established a singular objective: To quantify the impact of the EPI technology at removing PRRS, influenza and PED viruses from aerosols generated by experimentally infected pigs.

Their testing methods involved collecting air samples for 24 days from an environment where 6-week-old pigs had been inoculated with influenza, PRRSV and PEDV. The researchers measured total airborne particles, total airborne viruses and virus particles as a function of size with the EPI system both on and off.

With data just released May 28, 2014, this team shared these conclusions:
◦The EPI system was effective at reducing influenza, PRRSV and PEDV from the air.
◦There was a reduction of 1 to 2 logs of RNA viral particles from the air.

Summed up Dr. Torremorell, “Despite the fecal-oral route of transmission, viable PEDV can be found in the air of infected environments. Strategies for preventing the airborne transmission of PEDV should be considered as part of comprehensive biosecurity and disease control programs.”

Commented Matt Baumgartner, General Manager, BEI Inc., the Olivia, MN firm that markets EPI Air technology, “We’re excited. Our ‘clean air’ technology for dust control is convincingly being accepted by some of the bigger hog producers in our country because of a quick return on investment. Now producers can also strategically employ EPI Air technology to take biosecurity to the next level at no additional cost. When you add to that the cleaner air environment for people in the barn you have a big win-win-win.”

BEI officials will display their clean air technology at June 4-5-6 World Pork Expo.