OAHN Swine Project: Ongoing investigation of an outbreak of Senecavirus A

Project Lead: Dr. Ryan Tenbergen

Collaborators: Drs. Tim Blackwell, Tim Pasma

To view the full report, please download the PDF here:  https://www.oahn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/OAHN-Swine-Project-Ongoing-investigation-of-an-outbreak-of-Senecavirus-A-FINAL-REPORT.pdf

This project investigates an outbreak of Senecavirus A (SVA) in two swine herd in Ontario for the purpose of understanding the epidemiology, immunity and elimination of the virus. The objectives of the project were to understand the transmission of SVA in a herd, conduct herd surveillance, and conduct sequencing studies to determine the origin of the virus. The objectives of this study contribute to knowledge on virus epidemiology and development of immunity. Data from this project was analyzed to determine the disappearance of maternal antibodies from weaned piglets, the length of time for viral shedding in weaned pigs, nurseries and finishers, and the sensitivity of pooling methods to determine appropriate and cost-effective testing methods for SVA. Sequencing of the virus was conducted to determine the source of the outbreak. Samples collected from previous OAHN sponsored surveillance studies were not tested for the presence of antibodies to determine if the virus had been previously present in the Ontario pig population because of an error in budget allotment for this testing on original proposal and then refusal of budget alterations at a later date.