Farmscape for September 6, 2023

The Manager of the Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network is applauding a collaboration that has resulted in the recognition of and response to Sapovirus, a newly emerged infection previously unknown in Canada.
The Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network has released its swine health surveillance report for the second quarter of this year.
CWSIN Manager Dr. Jette Christensen says scours where Sapovirus was detected was first reported in the region during the quarterly call in January and then, during discussions in May, practitioners in Manitoba and Alberta reported having seen cases.

Quote-Dr. Jette Christensen-Canada West Swine Health Intelligence Network:
The problem with Sapovirus as we saw it in May when we had the call was that very little was known about Sapovirus and there was no laboratory in Canada that offered a test for Sapovirus so it was a very hard to come by diagnosis.
They had to send samples to the U.S. to get a Sapovirus diagnosis.
In addition, CFIA had not at any point considered Sapovirus diarrhea a disease in Canada.
That was what went out in the reports in May and then in July we heard the first from PDS that they had a PCR test that they could offer on an experimental basis for the practitioners in the region.
When we reported the second quarter, covering April to June, there was actually the first two Sapovirus tests in the data.
I think it's amazing that the practitioners, the laboratory experts in the regions can collaborate and get together to develop a test and dig into a completely new virus within six months.
I think that's a testament to an incredible collaboration in the region.

Dr. Christensen acknowledges there is still more work to be done to fully understand the role of Sapovirus in scours.
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Bruce Cochrane.

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