VICTORIA, British Columbia – The governments of Canada and British Columbia plan to invest $613,000 to increase surveillance and preventive measures to stop livestock diseases from spreading to British Columbia.

The British Columbia Pork Producers Association will take immediate action to prevent the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv) from spreading to the province. Actions include:


• Immediate implementation of enhanced biosecurity efforts at the two facilities that handle pigs from within and from outside BC, including livestock transport trucks and driver sanitation measures.
• The association will help two pork processing facilities and 21 pork producing farms develop response and containment plans to ensure rapid action should PEDv be found. In addition, enhanced auditing and application of national standards for on-farm biosecurity will be supported.
• The industry will cost-share any activities that include the purchase of equipment and/or costs for infrastructure associated to enhancing biosecurity.

PEDv has not been found in British Columbia. Canada's first positive case of the virus was confirmed in January.