A quarantine on the movement of pigs was issued for Oahu on Thursday following the outbreak of a serious swine disease never before seen in Hawaii.
Acting state veterinarian Isaac Maeda ordered the quarantine after confirming that porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, struck a farm in Waianae Valley, killing about 25 percent of the farm’s 150 pigs, mostly piglets.
The virus causes sickness in swine and high mortality in piglets but does not pose a risk to humans or pets and is not a food safety concern, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
State Department of Agriculture officials said the farm last week notified the state Animal Disease Control Branch that its herd was suffering numerous cases of diarrhea. Symptoms of PEDv in swine include acute watery diarrhea and dehydration.
State veterinarians took samples from the farm and sent them to the Kansas State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which confirmed PEDv Thursday morning.
The quarantine stops the movement of pigs on the west side of Oahu, with no swine allowed to be transported east of Nanakuli from Makaha, Waianae and Nanakuli Valley. The order also prohibits the movement of swine from Oahu to neighbor islands.
State officials report the farm has implemented measures to control the disease, and it appears the remaining affected pigs are recovering. No deaths have occurred on the farm since the weekend, they said.
Janelle Saneishi, state agriculture spokeswoman, said it is not known how the virus came to Hawaii. The farm reported that it hasn’t imported any pigs.
"Our current focus is to contain the virus and prevent its spread on Oahu," Maeda said in a statement. "We will also survey other swine operations and try to determine if the virus has spread."
PEDv is common in parts of Asia and Europe and was first confirmed in the U.S. in May 2013. To date, 32 states have reported PEDv, and it is estimated to have killed up to 8 million young pigs.
In July the state increased swine import requirements to help prevent the entry of animals infected with PEDv into Hawaii, officials said.
Statewide there are about 230 pig farms, 70 of which are on Oahu. Most are small operations.
Farmers who have questions may contact the state Animal Disease Control Branch on Oahu, 438-7106.
