Survival of swine vesicular disease virus in Spanish Serrano cured hams and Iberian cured hams, shoulders and loins

The survival of swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV) was studied in typical Spanish dry cured pork products (Serrano and Iberian hams, loins, and shoulders) to determine if SVDV would be inactivated in products imported from infected pigs and, thus, assure that importation and commercialization of these dry cured meat products would not pose a risk to US livestock. Thirty-two Iberian black and 32 white pigs were infected and slaughtered in Spain at the estimated peak of viremia. Cuts from the carcasses were frozen and shipped to the United States. The meat products tested were prepared in an off-shore high containment laboratory using procedures mimicking commercial processing procedures used in Spain. Samples taken at slaughter and at intervals during processing were assayed for virus survival by in vitro and in vivo techniques.