PADRAP Plays a Role in SVA Outbreak Investigations

November 25, 2015 — Christine Mowrer

Why the sudden and more wide-spread resurgence of Senecavirus A (SVA)? Are there common risk factors that may increase risk of infection? What are the most common gaps in biosecurity that may have led to the introduction of this disease on a farm? Is there a way we can gather consistent, real-time information and respond quickly to an emerging or transboundary disease threat to the United States swine industry? These are a few of the questions the Outbreak Investigation Program is trying to answer. The program was originally funded by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) and more recently the National Pork Board (NPB) and the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC). The program began in summer 2013 with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), was quickly adapted for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and now is being utilized with SVA cases.

PADRAP served as the backbone for the development of the standard investigation forms and summary reports used in the outbreak investigations. These forms ensure data is collected in a uniform manner suitable for aggregate analysis. Similar to the PRRS Risk Assessment for the Breeding Herd in PADRAP, the SVA outbreak investigation form collects basic information about the herd, premises, and current SVA outbreak. The form also includes a set of standard questions about a comprehensive set of possible risk events and the carrying agents associated with them.

To conduct the investigation, an outbreak investigation facilitator and coordinator deploy to meet with the herd veterinarian and farm personnel. The SVA outbreak investigation form is used as a guide for an open ended discussion about the case and the events that occurred in the four weeks prior to the first observation of clinical signs.

After the outbreak investigation team meets with the herd veterinarian and farm personnel, the coordinator composes a summary report. Events that occurred on the site in the four weeks prior to the outbreak are assigned a qualitative risk level based on farm attributes, layers of biosecurity currently in place, overall frequency of events and the inherent risk of the events themselves. The summary then highlights the events most likely to have introduced SVA into the farm so that gaps in biosecurity are more easily flushed out.

PADRAP is a host website and database warehouse that currently offers 2 risk assessments for PRRS – one for breeding herds and one for growing pig herds. The intention is for it to eventually house risk assessments for other swine diseases, stages of production and even other species. The outbreak investigation forms and summary are currently populated manually but in the future may be automated and delivered online using PADRAP which will make it an easily accessible resource for the SHIC, NPB, American Association of Veterinarians (AASV) and other industry stakeholders in the event of endemic, emerging, or transboundary disease outbreaks.

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Christine Mowrer, Program Coordinator I, VDPM, ISU