Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea and Farm Welfare

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and similar enteric pathogens cause mass mortality in piglets, representing a severe welfare emergency that is preventable through biosecurity.

Key Facts

PEDv first appeared in North America in 2013 and killed over 7 million piglets in the US in the first year
Neonatal piglets infected with PEDv show severe diarrhea and near-100% mortality without treatment
Biosecurity failures including contaminated feed trucks and poor sanitation enable rapid virus spread between farms
Vaccines are available and effective at reducing mortality when combined with management improvements

Welfare Considerations

PEDv-affected piglets experience severe diarrhea, dehydration, and death over 3-5 days — a deeply unpleasant death for vulnerable neonates. The scale of mortality when outbreaks occur is catastrophic. Prevention through biosecurity is far more welfare-effective than treatment. Each new farm affected represents a preventable welfare failure with proper protocols.

What You Can Do

Support mandatory biosecurity standards for swine transport and personnel movement in pig farming regulations
Advocate for PEDv vaccination programs as a standard of care in commercial pig production
Support research into improved PEDv vaccines and treatment protocols for affected piglets
Donate to welfare organizations that provide emergency support to farms experiencing disease outbreaks
Urge pork suppliers to require documented biosecurity standards from their producer networks