The use of environmental testing is helping pork producers maximize the effectiveness of trailer washing and disinfection protocols to prevent the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED).
According to the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), while PED case numbers across all age groups have decreased, the percentage of positive cases detected from environmental samples—such as transport vehicles and truck wash facilities—remains high.
Dr. Lisa Becton, Associate Director at SHIC, explains:
“Environmental sampling for PED has been critical because it shows how widespread the virus may be. It allows us to determine if contamination is heavy at truck washes, on vehicles, or even at packing plants. This helps producers and their teams identify where to focus cleaning efforts.
Not every farm is dealing with PED, so targeted environmental testing helps pinpoint problem areas and ensures time and resources are directed where they’re most needed. Evaluating all aspects of transportation biosecurity is essential—but it’s challenging since the industry often lacks enough truck wash facilities or trailers to guarantee 100% cleaning of all vehicles. Having the data to identify high-risk areas is key to making transportation biosecurity more effective.”
In addition to PED, SHIC reports ongoing concerns with PRRS, with case positivity exceeding state-specific baselines in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Indiana. The first detection of PRRS lineage 1C.2 in North Carolina has also raised concerns. Meanwhile, PDCoV positivity remains elevated in Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, and both PCV2 and PCV3 cases have shown moderate increases.
The Swine Health Information Center’s latest domestic and global swine health monitoring reports are available at swinehealth.org.
