Dr. John Harding, associate professor
in swine production medicine at the
University of Saskatchewan, and his team
have been studying various aspects of porcine
circovirus (PCVD) to learn more about
controlling the virus.
In an on-going trial funded by Ontario Pork,
Manitoba Pork, Alberta Pork, Federation des Producteurs de
Porc du Quebec (FPPQ) and the Alberta Livestock Industry
Development Fund, the researchers have been evaluating
on-farm risk factors to determine why some animals develop
disease and others do not.
The main aim of the study is to determine if common
production practices have an impact on disease development
and if there is a genetic component that makes the
pigs more or less susceptible to developing clinical signs of
the disease. The team is in the midst of collecting samples to
be analysed through the summer of 2008.