SRRP performances d’un système de filtration d’air québécois

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 28, 2007 | No Comments

Ne pas oublier que le bon sens devrait faire partie de l’équation.

On a passablement d’information sur la transmission de pathogènes par l’air et sur les systèmes de filtration.

MAIIS la localisation et l’application d’’une biosécurité effective et non “psychologique” est très importante.

SEPT ENTREPRISES BRETONNES ET ~AFSSA DANS UN MEME PROJET

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on May 28, 2007 | No Comments

Sept PME specialisees dans I’equipement des elevages de porcs s’associent al’Afssa de Ploufragan dans un programme de recherche visant acerner Ie probleme de la qualite de I’air dans les salles de post-sevrage et d’engraissement.

AN EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS FOR REDUCING THE TRANSMISSION OF PORCINE REPRODUCTIVE AND RESPIRATORY SYNDROME VIRUS BY AEROSOLS

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 31, 2006 | No Comments

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus has been proven to spread through the air. The most proven way to stop this aerosol spreading of the virus is to install HEPA filters where air enters the barn. Although this method is effect it can also be costly. This report evaluates effective inexpensive alternatives to stoping the PRRS virus. Pigs were held in a recipient chamber where air was filtered into by a fan from the first chamber. The air was PRRS positive and was misted in to the  first chamber. The low costs filter being tested (control) was made of mosquito netting, 2 fiberglass furnace filters and 2 electrostatic furnace filters. The HEPA filtration system utilized a pre-filter screen, a bag filter and a HEPA filter. The bag filtration system involved the use of a MERV 14 rated filter. The 95% DOP @ 0.3 μm filtration system involved a pleat-in-pleat V-bank disposable filter having a 95% DOP efficiency rating at particles > 0.3 μm. Aerosol transmission of PRRSV occurred in 10/10 replicates (control), 0/10 replicates (95% DOP @ 0.3 μm filtration), 4/10 replicates (2x-low cost filtration) and 0/10 replicates (HEPA filtration). The HEPA filter seems to be the most effective method for stopping the spreading of PRRS although the 95% DOP maybe a more cost efficient method.

Production porcine – Santé animale Les distances séparatrices

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on August 27, 2006 | No Comments

Lors de la tournée provinciale du Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) relativement à la consultation publique sur le développement durable de la production porcine au Québec, qui s’est déroulée entre septembre 2002 et septembre 2003, plus de 9 000 personnes ont assisté et participé à la centaine de réunions. Près de 400 mémoires y ont été présentés. Dans son rapport, la Commission vient à la conclusion que les données disponibles ne sont pas suffisamment précises et scientifiquement fondées pour proposer des normes de distances séparatrices.

Je ne veux pas aborder ici la question des distances séparatrices entre les activités agricoles et les périmètres des villes, les résidences, les chemins publics ou les activités récréatives ou industrielles de toutes sortes. Je veux plutôt aborder les risques de contamination aérienne entre élevages de porcs.

Les vétérinaires savent depuis longtemps qu’il est difficile d’obtenir une stabilité sanitaire à long terme dans les élevages qui sont situés près les uns des autres. Cette observation est encore plus fréquente depuis l’apparition…

An overview of North American PRRS eradication efforts

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on March 31, 2006 | No Comments

An article put out in the Journal of Animal Science stated that the PRRS virus cost pig producer $560 million annually. Although this number is conservative because it only accounted for the losses in production and not the cost of treating the disease and the opportunity cost of having pigs kept longer. Since the disease classical swine fever and pseudorabies have been eraticated from swine herds in the US, the possibility of eradicating the PRRS virus has come into discussion. A statement put out by the AASV stated their long term goal was complete eradication of the PRRS virus and they plan to work with industry to achieve this goal. Following this statement PRRS eradication groups were developed across North America. These groups did well in collecting funding and organizing action towards PRRS eradication but work still needs to be done with “substantial eradication”. The removal of PRRS from a herd was able to be achieved but the true challenge was keeping the disease from infecting a susceptible herd. A lot of research has gone into air filtration systems and the study of potential carriers of the disease such as biological and mechanical fomites. Going forward more research will have to be done and project will be continue help achieve complete eradication of the disease.

Respiratory Protection Provided by N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators Against Airborne Dust and Microorganisms in Agricultural Farms

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on November 28, 2005 | No Comments

A new system has been developed to determine the workplace protection factors (WPF) for dust and bioaerosols in agricultural work places. The study was performed with a person wearing an N95 filtering facepeice respirator while doing typical farm tasks such as feeding animals, harvesting grain, unloading grain, and facility investigations. Results showed that the particle size increased along with the geometric means. The WPF for total cultural fungi was greater than for total culturable bacteria. Among the different microorganism groups, the WPFs of Cladosporium, culturable fungi, and total fungi were significantly correlated with the WPFs of particles of the same sizes. When the WPFs for dust particles was compared to the WPFs for bioaerosols it was found that the bioaerosols were below 10 more frequently, which is a recommended assigned protection factor (APF). Over half of the WPFs for microorganisms were below the proposed APF of 10. The APF of 10 for an N95 filtering facepeice respirators seems inadequate against microorganisms. This study provides preliminary data to establish guidelines for respiratory protection against airborne dust and microorganisms on typical farms.

Evaluation of the aerosol transmission of a mixed infection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on July 23, 2005 | No Comments

The objective of this study was to evaluate the transmission of M. hyopnemoniae and PRRS by aerosol as either a single or mixed infection. 28 pis were inoculated with M. hyopnemoniae and with PRRS 35 days later. These pigs were all held together in the same barn. To test for single infection (before day 35) a group of 10 five week old pigs were put outside the barn in a trailer one meter away from the fan. To test for mixed infection two groups of 10 week-old pigs were placed on the side of the barn after the pigs had been infected with PRRS. The pigs in the first trailer did not test positive for M hyopneumoniae infections. In the other two trailers pigs tested positive for a M hyopneumoniae but none tested positive for PRRS.

Laboratory model to evaluate the role of aerosols in the transport of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on April 16, 2005 | No Comments

This study attempts to develop a model to evaluate the aerosol transmission of the PRRS virus. The PRRS virus traveled by aerosol as far as 150m. A portable air sampler was used to collect air samples at 1, 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150m. The process was repeated 5 times at each distance and then the air samples were tested by TaqMan PCR and virus isolation. PRRSV RNA was detected in all five replicate air samples collected at 1, 30, 60 and 90 m, in four of the five collected at 120 m, and in three of the five collected at 150 m. Further testing involved exposing PRRS negative pigs to the aerosolised PRRS virus after it had traveled 150m. Half of the pigs in the experiment became infected with PRRS, and swab samples taken from the interior of the housing chambers were PRRS positive.

Assessing Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae aerosol movement at several distances

Posted in: Air Filtration, Pork Insight Articles by admin on January 15, 2005 | No Comments

Modern developments in pig production such as segregated production, early weaning and strategic medication have eliminated some of the risks associated with the spreading of pathogens. Although there have still been certain pathogens able to penetrate herds despite these improvements. Enzootic pneumonia (EP) is one disease that still causes reductions in production performance of swine herds. One of the main agents of EP is M hyopneumoniae, which is very difficult to grow in a lab causing a need for nested PCR technology to aid in the detection of the organism in tissue and air samples. The spreading of M hyopneumoniae is mainly through infected pigs and aerosols. This disease is assumed to travel up to 3km making dense pig operations and roadways that transport hogs risk factors for spreading the disease. But these assumptions are based on retrospective epidemiological studies, no scientific studies have been conducted to see if the disease can actually travel through the air for various distances. To test for the spreading of M hyopneumoniae a model was used that had previously been designed to test for the spreading of PRRS. This model consisted of three components: dispersal, dissemination and detection. The dispersal phase involved spraying units of M hyopneumoniae through a aerosol can, similar to a cooking oil spray. A blower was used to disseminate the samples, and a portable air centrifuge was used to collect samples at 1, 75 and 150 m from the dissemination area. The study was replicated twice at each distance. After each test, the centrifuge was sanitized. Samples were taken after each tests at each distance. All of the samples from each distance were found to be positive with M hyopneumoniae DNA. All the samples consisted of non-specific bacteria making it difficult to determine  if any samples had M hyopneumoniae-like colonies. Further studies need to be carried out to find out the maximum distance the particles can travel and to see if different weather conditions play a role in the distance traveled.

Battling PRRS virus Aerosol Spread

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Researchers were able to determine that the PRRS virus transfers between pigs by way of aerosol. It was also determined that the more virulent the disease was the higher chances it has of shedding and infecting other pigs. Identifying these factors has led to a need to develop an air filtration system capable of stopping the PRRS virus from traveling from an infected herd to a non-infected herd. A filtration system put in place by French hog farmers was able to eliminate PRRS outbreaks in an area that was once commonly infected with the virus. This method involved three filters one being high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter capable of filtering particles as small as 0.3 microns. To prove the effectiveness of this method American researchers ran a series of  tests involving PRRS infected pigs. The PRRS infected pig was put in one room and a PRRS negative pig was put in a room beside it with the filter placed between them. In 20 trials the PRRS negative pig was not infected with the virus, when the same test was done without the filter the negative pig was infected 6 out of 20 times. To intesify the study the researchers used 2 pints of solution containing PRRS to create a “virus fog” which was put through the filter. When the filter was in place for 10 trails the negative pig was not infected once, where as in the control when the filter was removed the negative pig was infected 9 out of 10 times. This HEPA filter was put in place in a  barn in Iowa that consistently suffered from PRRS outbreaks annually between November and February. After a year of having the filter in place the barn suffered no out breaks and the staff veterinarian said that the overall environment of the barn had been improved.