Earlier this month I attended a seminar on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) The session focused on PRRS area-regional control and elimination programs, and many of the leading swine veterinarians in North America were there.
In 2005, when Dr. Scott Dee was president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), that organization drew a line in the sand by announcing its support of eventual PRRS eradication. The resolution stated, in part: “The AASV will take a leadership role by partnering with the swine industry to promote collaborative PRRS eradication efforts at the local, regional and national levels, communicating the need and identifying sources of funding to support such initiatives, and assisting in the transfer of new PRRS-related information and technology across its membership, in order to achieve this goal.”
The disease costs the industry an estimated $560 million per year, and many experts feel that figure is low. “We have had over 20 years of history with the virus,” said Dr. Paul Yeske. “That is the same as one-year’s production in the United States.”
Many of the numbers are minor but they add up, and when multiplied over a large number of pigs, they are significant.
To see if elimination of the virus from an area was possible, the first area regional control (ARC) program was initiated in Stevens County, Minnesota in 2002. While not without setbacks, the effort was supported by a large majority of producers.
Researchers involved in the project used what they knew, but also discovered what they didn’t know about the disease. Pig movement turned out to be one of the biggest challenges, and aerosol movement of the virus is an issue as well.
Montse Torremorell, DVM, PhD at the University of Minnesota outlined a 10-point process for building herd plans in regional programs:
1. Know what animals, facilities and flows are in the region
2. Know farm and animal locations
3. Know animal movements
4. Know who wants to participate and see if everyone is committed. “Not everyone will be on the same page at the same time,” she says. “You’ll have help with peer pressure as the plan progresses, and it will be easier to identify influencers and suppliers.”
5. Involve the players
6. Establish priorities
7. Coordinate activities, including regular evaluation of progress; communication is very important
8. Measure progress
9. Plan for unexpected situations
10. Have contingency plans in place
“Transmit unto your neighbor as you would have your neighbor transmit unto you.”
It’s a snowball in terms of momentum and success, say the speakers at the symposium. In terms of funding, and understanding, the industry is far ahead of where it was seven years ago. State and national pork organizations, state health boards, USDA, and animal health companies, among others, have put resources into PRRS control. The “Advancement in PRRS Research Award Program” sponsored by BIVI has provided over $400,000 for PRRS research projects.
“It’s sometimes difficult to share what we know but we are careful to maintain confidentiality,” says Bob Morrison at the University of Minnesota. “We have USDA support to expand to the six counties around Stevens County, though there are differences in density.”
Veterinarians and producer-leaders are taking a deliberate, thoughtful approach to developing the regional program to build consensus among shareholders.
“We put together a road map to success, with short-term, medium-term and long-term goals” says Dr. Dee. “This was a calming influence especially as we talked to producers.”
Dr. Dee reinforced his support of – and commitment to – the 2005 resolution when he stated: “Significant progress has been made: questions have been answered, new tools have been developed and people are getting organized.”
The industry is tired of PRRS. People are coming together and if we can identify enough local leadership to help keep people engaged with the end goal in mind, the rewards will be well worth the effort.
A national eradication will involve risk, but with risk comes opportunity. And the initiation of a national program to eventually eliminate PRRS is one of those opportunities we can’t afford to pass up.
Editor’s Note: This commentary is sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI). Some of the material in this commentary was provided by BIVI.
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