Grinding of swine mortality for compost under cold weather conditions for viral elimination

The elimination of a foreign animal disease requires an efficient means of disposal for infected or exposed mortality and carcasses. Limited studies have been performed on the monitoring of swine viruses over time in compost piles, and this study looked to fill those knowledge gaps. The majority of the pig population in the United States resides in the Midwest, where adverse weather conditions in the winter exist. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the ability to grind carcasses for windrow formation to eliminate viral pathogens in the face of adverse weather conditions. This study further evaluated the environmental safety of the grinding processes and the potential for contamination from compost windrows themselves. The study reveals that grinding of infected carcasses in cold weather conditions is a low potential risk for environmental contamination of the air and groundwater. There is an observable difference between the compared compost materials used in virus elimination potential. The grinding and compost method is a viable option for carcass disposal in the face of a Foreign Animal Disease outbreak for pathogen elimination.