Building on a 10-year history as the International Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Symposium, the Pork Checkoff recently cosponsored the 2013 North American PRRS Symposium in Chicago. The meeting drew 200 participants from across North America and beyond to share the latest research and insights into PRRS. The disease costs the U.S. pork industry $664 million per year or $115/sow, according to previous research by Iowa State University.

“The main goal of this conference is the exchange of knowledge between some of the world's foremost authorities on PRRS so that key research can move forward as quickly and efficiently as possible,” says Lisa Becton, DVM, the Pork Checkoff's director of swine health and information and committee member for the 2013 North American PRRS Symposium. “The Pork Checkoff's ultimate goal is to see how research can be applied at the farm level to help curb this devastating disease.”

The meeting specifically focused on the latest discoveries related to PRRS and associated disease syndromes, including porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV). The speakers sponsored by the Pork Checkoff focused on PEDV, PRRS surveillance, development of a PRRS outbreak investigation, roles of PRRS virus proteins, PRRS virus antibodies and nutritional management of PRRS-infected herds.

The April 2012 Blueprint Issue of National Hog Farmer provides an in-depth look at PRRS. Read the articles in that issue here.

The Checkoff-funded nutritional research, presented by  Thomas Burkey, University of Nebraska, focused on how PRRS affects pigs all the way to market weight. The ongoing research showed a decrease in average daily gain and average daily feed intake early in the pig's life from which the pigs were not able to recover through compensatory gain later in life. Tissue accretion also was reduced 15-20% all the way to market weight. He said continued research was needed to find how to specifically feed pigs that are PRRS-positive.

“We're excited to continue to sponsor this kind of meeting that serves as a major venue for PRRS research,” Becton says. “Because PRRS continues to harm our nation's swine herds, we will continue to work on finding innovative solutions at every level of production.”

For more information on checkoff-funded research, including PRRS, go to www.pork.org/research.

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