The pork industry is not afraid of a challenge, says Marisa Rotolo, DVM, National Pork Board (NPB) director of swine health. From a herd health standpoint, one of the most prominent challenges being tackled first under the National Swine Health Strategy is the elimination of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV).
To kick off this effort, the industry is building directly on the foundational work already established by the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) PEDV Elimination Task Force.
“I would classify PEDV as a low-hanging fruit in the portfolio of swine diseases for a couple reasons,” Rotolo says. “It doesn’t mutate near as often as our other pathogens, such as PRRS and we have incredibly robust diagnostics to detect it. It’s clinical signs are very straightforward and it has a short incubation period compared to other pathogens such as Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Since its detection in spring 2013, we have seen the incidence of PEDV steadily decrease and we want to capitalize on that momentum and push it out of our herds.”
A Producer-Driven Push
The short answer to why the industry is aiming to eliminate PEDV now is simple: it’s because that’s what producers want. The grassroots, producer-led National Swine Health Strategy has two main goals—reducing the impact of domestic diseases and keeping foreign animal diseases (FADs) and emerging diseases out.
The U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan (U.S. SHIP)—a voluntary, producer-driven program focused on biosecurity, traceability, and sampling—will provide the operational framework for this elimination effort, explains Vienna Brown, PhD, USDA APHIS and U.S. SHIP senior coordinator.
According to Brown, the program supports the strategy in two major ways:
- The PEDV Clean Certification: Unanimously approved at the September 2025 House of Delegates meeting, this standard serves as Stage 1 of the national elimination framework by establishing a straightforward, standardized sampling and testing approach to help producers communicate herd health status.
- The PEDV Monitored Certification: This standard will be formally debated and voted on at the upcoming September 2026 House of Delegates meeting.
The 10-Year (2025–2035) PEDV Elimination Framework
The AASV PEDV Elimination Task Force—closely collaborating with Jenelle Hamblin, Director of Swine Health with Manitoba Pork, who is spearheading Manitoba’s provincial PED elimination project—has laid out a structured, five-stage roadmap:
- Stage 1 (2025-2027): Standardize health communication via the U.S. SHIP PEDV Health status Certifications.
- Stage 2 (2027–2030): Concentrate on reducing PEDV in finishing herds (aiming for a 50% reduction per year) as they act as a virus reservoir.
- Stage 3 (2030–2032): Initiate regional coordination to declare localized regions PEDV-free, leveraging common touchpoints (feed mills, truck washes, etc.) through state pork associations.
- Stage 4 (2032-2035): Coordinate and declare free regions at the state level through State Animal Health Officials (SAHOs) and state pork associations.
- Stage 5 (2035): Achieve full national elimination via state and federal collaboration.
While disease elimination is never easy, researchers are already working to address remaining logistical hurdles. The Pork Checkoff is funding research to tackle manure management—specifically studying how long the virus remains infectious in lagoons and pits—and transport sanitation. They are also exploring tools to boost herd immunity prior to transport and alleviating the need for the intentional exposure of replacement gilts.
Endemic Progress Bolsters FAD Defense
While producers are highly focused on endemic diseases like PEDV that impact daily morbidity, mortality and bottom lines, the industry is not taking their eye off of foreign threats like African swine fever (ASF).
“We are keeping our foot on the gas pedal as it relates to foreign animal diseases and emerging diseases,” Rotolo emphasizes.
In fact, the experts agree that fighting domestic endemic diseases is the best way to prepare for FAD threats. Building the infrastructure, traceability systems (such as NPB’s AgView), and sampling networks required to eradicate PEDV lays down the exact pathways needed to fight an FAD.
“Everything we build in the endemic or FAD space will only help bolster the opposite side,” Rotolo says. “If we do have an FAD arrive in the U.S., we will have those state and regional collaborations already established, making our industry far more efficient in its emergency response.”
Will it Work?
Early indicators point to yes. High producer enthusiasm has already shifted the conversation from hesitation to acceleration, with many producers eager to condense the timeline from 10 years down to five.
Rotolo points to the start of a recent pilot program in Wisconsin, where state official agencies, the state pork association, and local producers are testing the practical deployment of both the PEDV Clean and Monitored certifications.
“The swine industry is super innovative, progressive and forward-thinking,” Brown says. “That’s what makes these initiatives so exciting and highly realizable. Ultimately, the sky is the limit, but it comes down to producer-level engagement—linking arms on what the priorities are and how we get there.”
Producers are encouraged to stay engaged with U.S. SHIP and their state pork associations to remain up to date on developing program standards and regional projects.
