State officials announced late last week that effective March 1, swine entering Wisconsin must be accompanied by an import permit. To successfully acquire this permit, a veterinarian must disclose the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) status of the herd of origin, if known, with a statement on the certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI)....More
Tissues, blood, feces and serum have historically been the samples needed to perform most diagnostic tests. But in the last few years, oral fluids have proven to be useful samples for detecting certain pathogens circulating in groups of pigs....More
A team of researchers at Iowa State University (ISU) has received a $3 million grant to study genetic resistance to the costliest disease threatening the pork industry and transfer this technology to the industry.
The researchers, led by Jack Dekkers, an ISU professor of animal science, will seek to identify genes in pigs that make them less susceptible to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), a viral disease that costs U.S. pork producers about $664 million a year....More
In a national effort to assess the role of genetics in determining pig resistance/susceptibility to PRRS virus infection and related pathology and growth effects, the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium (PHGC) was formed. By collecting data on large numbers of PRRS virus-infected pigs, researchers aim to identify and verify important genotypes and phenotypes that predict resistance, tolerance or susceptibility to viral infection....More
A study at the University of Minnesota compared the PRRS outbreak history of 20 filtered and 17 control (non-filtered) sow farms. Data was collected from October 2004 to June 2011. The information encompassed 120,000 sows from high-density regions in the Midwest....More
In the largest field study of its kind, a team of University of Minnesota researchers evaluated the impact of immunization in herd closure strategies on eliminating porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus from breeding herds....More
Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel for International Affairs for the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC), recently traveled to Australia and New Zealand to meet with United States and foreign government officials and industry representatives to discuss restrictions on U.S. pork due to unscientific concerns for the transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)....More
Without a doubt, the process of filtering a sow farm is a costly and time-consuming process, according to Jeff Feder, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, MN....More
A four-year University of Minnesota research trial found that air filtration was 100% effective in blocking porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus from entering a model of a swine production region....More
Monte Moss, DVM, is a realist. He knows that with 110,000 pigs being finished within a six-mile radius of his northern Indiana hog farm, he will never be “home free” when it comes to security against outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)....More
While external biosecurity focuses on exclusion – don’t let it in – internal biosecurity focuses on containment – don’t let it move, says Dave Wright, DVM, project coordinator for the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) regional control projects in Minnesota.
Internal biosecurity focuses on controlling virus movement from pig to pig, litter to litter, room to room and barn to barn....More
As fall approaches, it’s time to protect your operation against introduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). Most herds typically break from mid- October to December, says Paul Yeske, DVM, Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, MN, in a talk at the Leman Swine Conference held this week in St. Paul, MN.
To safeguard negative pigs from PRRS:...More
Pfizer Animal Health named Julie Menard, DVM, of Ange-Gardien, Quebec, the 2012 Allen D. Leman Science in Practice award winner. The announcement was made this week at the 2012 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, MN, by Shelley Stanford, DVM, director, U.S. Pork Technical Services....More
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has completed Phase 1 of the National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS), according to Eric Bush, DVM, veterinary pathologist at USDA’s Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health in Fort Collins, CO.
“Names of participating producers have been turned over to USDA’s Veterinary Services and producers can expect to be contacted this fall beginning Sept. 10,” he explains....More
With porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) costing U.S. swine producers $664 million annually in lost production, collaborative scientific research continues to be the industry’s best hope for finding new ways to mitigate this devastating disease.
For the last 10 years, Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) has contributed $75,000 annually through its Advancement in PRRS Research Awards to fund three selected research programs....More
Register by July 30 to get the best rates on registration ($75) and hotel ($89) to attend the 53rd annual George Young Swine Health and Management Conference Aug. 16 at the Marina Inn in South Sioux City, NE.
To register, contact Racheal Slattery at the University of Nebraska at (402) 472-8595 or rslattery2@unl.edu. For a room, contact the Marina Inn at (402) 494-4000 or (800) 798-7980.
Morning presentations include:...More
A long-term sustainability study of air filtration was completed recently to assess its value in reducing the occurrence of new infections by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).
Thirty-eight herds were studied at three different levels from September 2008 to January 2012 including the likelihood of infection in filtered and non-filtered herds.
Results indicate that new PRRS virus infections in filtered barns were significantly lower than in non-filtered control herds....More
Many boar studs and sow farms have installed filtration systems to reduce the airborne transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory (PRRS) virus. Interest in filtering nurseries, grow-finish and wean-to-finish facilities is growing, especially in swine-dense areas. Two different types of filters are used: a pre-filter and a high-efficiency, virus-capturing filter.
To better understand the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus and develop solutions to reduce disease losses for producers, the National Pork Board Swine Health Committee committed checkoff funds in the form of the PRRS Initiative Research. So far, the PRRS Initiative Research has funded 123 projects totaling more than $10 million. The Pork Checkoff has just published a 38-page report, “PRRS Initiative Research, 2004-2011,” that contains key findings and applications for PRRS based on the research funded during this period....More
The PRRS virus continues to circulate within the U.S. swine population. Recent estimates put the cost to the swine industry at $664 million per year — a whopping $1.8 million per day. Broken down further, the cost across all U.S. sow herds amounts to $114.71 per sow or roughly $6.00 per pig in lost opportunity and cost....More
Numerous boar studs and sow farms have installed filtration systems to reduce the airborne transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory (PRRS) virus. Others are considering air filtration systems. Interest in filtering nurseries, grow-finish and wean-to-finish facilities, especially in swine-dense areas, is also growing....More
Even with the successes of filtration in preventing the introduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and other aerosolized pathogens into swine populations, we still have a way to go with the implementation and execution phases. As we work through adaptation of filtration over broader areas, we should not lose sight of the body of research that gives us direction on how to minimize introduction of the PRRS virus. Producers must be vigilant about implementing proven bio¬security strategies to lower the risk of pathogen introduction....More
As PRRS has moved through the industry at an alarming rate, the disease has increasingly forced the pork industry down a long path of ever-improving biosecurity efforts. It has motivated often difficult and costly economic decisions concerning bio¬security measures, such as installing an air filtration system....More
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is an economically significant disease of swine that continues to frustrate pork producers and veterinarians alike, decimating pig populations and creating financial havoc for pork producers....More
