Hog producers should not feed blood plasma products until there is concrete evidence that there is no connection between feeding plasma products and the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus, veterinarians said during PED virus conference call. The conference call was sponsored by Alberta Pork.
While the Canadian Food Inspection Agency tested a plasma product in February and could not verify a connection between feeding plasma products and PED virus, veterinarians are still urging producers to not take the chance, The Western Producer reported.
“We all know the benefit of blood plasma in starting little pigs under 21 days. It’s a high-grade protein. However, at this point in time we have totally lost confidence in this process,” said Alberta hog veterinarian Dr. Frank Marshall.
Producers who are in possession of pig feed with plasma should dispose of it, and to not spread it on the fields, said Dr. Lucie Verdon, a veterinarian and national coordinator of the Canadian Swine Health Board.
Marshall added that improperly rendered meat products in feed have the potential to spread some diseases and there could be a link because PED virus can be found in blood cells.