By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday April 5, 2022

Apr 5, 2022 | 9:42 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — An outbreak of Japanese encephalitis in Australia is causing worldwide concern.

The viral zoonotic disease is spread by mosquitoes and can cause reproductive losses and encephalitis in pigs and horses. In rare cases the disease can appear in humans.

Australia’s Sun Pork Group veterinarian Dr. Kirsty Richards said while people and horses are considered ‘dead end’ hosts and do not play a role in transmitting the virus, pigs and some species of wild birds can spread the disease.

She said the virus was found in the far northern tip of the state of Queensland but that changed suddenly just over a month ago when within 24 hours the virus was diagnosed at unrelated pig farms across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.

“Just over one month later, we now have more than 50 infected farms across the eastern seaboard states of Australia and extending over into south Australia,” Richards said.

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The Swine Health Information Center and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians hosted a webinar last week to discuss the outbreak of the virus in Australia.

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The Canadian Mushroom Growers’ Association will receive federal funding to support market growth.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said the project being funded aims to maintain and expand Canadian mushroom demand and consumption domestically and in the United States through industry-led promotional activities.

The $344,100 will also be used is to increase consumer knowledge of the nutritional benefits of mushrooms.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW