PRRS Elimination

Discussion and the Area

Regional PRRS Control

Projects

2010 Swine Educators In-Service

R.B. Baker DVM, MSCollege of Veterinary Medicine

Iowa State University9-23-2010

Signs in Iowa….

The PRRS

Road Map?

The U.S. Obstacle to greater

Reproductive Efficiency, Profitability,

and Global Competitiveness

PRRS…..

Successful Methods of

Elimination

• Depopulation – Repopulation

• Herd Closure followed by negative gilt introduction

(Rollover)

• Mass vaccination followed by herd Closure then

negative gilts (Modified Rollover)

Successful Methods of

Elimination

• Homologous Serum inoculation followed by herd

closure (modified rollover)

• Introduction of negative gilts only (small herds)

• Parity segregation – Farm switching with Negative

gilts

• Any method that follows the 200 day + rule + negative

gilts

Successful Methods of

Elimination

• For all farm elimination plans – the “Devil is in the Details”

• Biosecurity is a key part of every plan

• Planning timelines for essential steps and adhering to the plan is critical

• Monitoring status and progress through testing

• Rapid response to adverse situations when they arise

PRRS Paradigms

Old Wives Tales and Science!

Dispelling Myths

PRRS Paradigms

• PRRS is a very tough virus and

survives well in the environment!

PRRS Paradigms

• Test and Removal of ELISA positive sows is the only way to way to eliminate PRRS without depopulating the farm!

PRRS Paradigms

• Adding negative gilts to positive farms will cause the farm to

“Blow Up”

PRRS Paradigms

PRRS Negative Farms suffer significantly more when infected

PRRS Paradigms

• Biosecurity is ineffective against PRRS!

PRRS Paradigms

• Airborne Transmission is the primary

route of Area Spread!

PRRS Paradigms

• Filtered barns are breaking with PRRS

proving they aren’t effective!

PRRS Paradigms

• Rodents Spread PRRS virus!

PRRS Paradigms

• Vaccines are useless for PRRS

control!

PRRS Paradigms

• Insects play a major role in PRRS

transmission!

PRRS Paradigms

• PRRS can’t be eradicated

without a Marker Vaccine!

PRRS Paradigms

• Feral Pigs, and Small Traditional

Farms are major reservoirs of PRRS

virus!

PRRS Paradigms

• We don’t have the diagnostic Tools which are needed for Eradication!

PRRS Paradigms

• Most PRRS negative farms become

positive within a year!

PRRS Paradigms

• Producers don’t want to

eliminate only control!

PRRS Paradigms

A National Eradication

Effort is Fruitless!

PRRS elimination in the “stand

alone” breeding herd is:

• Straight Forward• Relatively inexpensive

– with quick returns–Only two outside

resources• Negative replacements• Negative semen

BreedingHerd

Small System

Large CompanyOr Region

HogState

US

What will it take?

•We are Nearly to the stage where eradication is feasible – We need more science/solutions for area spread

•A technological “fix’ may be in the future but unlikely within the next 10 years = effective vaccine

10 Participating Areas

• Northwest Indiana• Western Michigan• Western Illinois• Pennsylvania• Ontario, Canada• North Central Illinois• Minnesota• Cuming County, Nebraska• Carson, Colorado• Iowa County, Iowa

Goals of Projects

• Reduce the prevalence of the PRRS virus within the selected area

• Compare strains to detail source of PRRS

• Facilitate communication among participants and provide a forum for sharing current program progress

• Assist producers to stabilize and eventually eradicate PRRS through herd management plans

Methods for ARC Projects

• Enroll producers by obtaining production information for each site

• Initial PRRS testing of each site– By serum (PCR and ELISA)

• Complete PADRAP for each site

• Routing testing of sites– by serum and oral fluids

• Sample sites with active PRRS infections to determine presence of virus and characterize

Herd Veterinarian

• Each site will designate their own vet

• Vets responsible for

– Developing herd plan with producers

– Conduct PADRAP analyses

– Routine sampling of sites

Details of each ARC

Northwest Indiana

• Working group– Indiana Board of Animal Health (IBOAH)– Purdue University Diagnostic Lab– Purdue Vet School

• Currently working on– Identifying

• type of production site (breed-wean, nursery, grow-finish)• PRRS status

– Completing PADRAP

Concerns o I-65, major interstate the runs through areao Funding

Communication is key!o Future activity will depend on sites sharing informationo BI supporting website to share information

Western Michigan

• Working group– MPPA

– Michigan State University

• Intense production in small area– Approx 20% of MI sows in area

– Only 3 sites have finishing pigs move into area

– Unique isolation

• Lake Michigan

• Grand Rapids

• State Forest

• Most area farms participated in pseudo rabies eradication

Western Michigan

• Procedure

– Identify all swine sites in area

– Determine PRRS status

• Rope and PCR (wished they would have done ELISA)

– Conduct PADRAP

• Have Steering Committee (9 Producers)

Western Illinois

• Working group– Western Illinois Pork Producers

– Illinois Pork Producers

– BI

– TriOak

– Cargill

• HAM Counties– Hancock

– Adams

– McDonough

• 197 sites identified– Most PRRS status unknown

– This summer, determine status and conduct PADRAP

Pennsylvania

• Working group– U Penn

• Working on– Mapping sites

• Currently 400 sites ~ 70,000 sows

– Determine PRRS status

• Future– Animal flow– Risk of becoming infected– Design PRRS control strategies specific for Penn.

• Challenges– Funding– Producer recruitment

Ontario, Canada

• Working group– University of Guelph

– OPIC

– OSHAB

• Goals– 1. Implement regional PRRS elimination project

– 2. Assess applicability of US PRRS elimination approaches to Canada

• Funding

• Follow procedure similar to other ARC projects

North Central Illinois

DeKalb County

• Area players– Bethany Swine Health Services– Heuber/Great Plains Management– Hintzche Pork– Lots of independent producers

– 20 sow farms– ~ 8 nursery– 66 nursery-finishing, finisher, or wean-to-finish– ~ 50 show pig sites– Few pigs come into the area– Change in genetic supplier promoted change

North Central Illinois

DeKalb County

• Fall 2009 – Genetic supplier change• Dec 2009 – PRRS meeting in Chicago• Jan 2010 – Map of area• Jan 2010 – Initial PRRS status bleeding• Feb 2010 – Initial producer meeting• Mar 2010 – Boar stud filtered and repop• May 2010 – Advisory Board meeting• Jun 2010 – 10 sites undergoing elimination plans• Summer 2010 – PRRS risk assessment

• Key is EDUCATION of biosecurity

– Producers, trucks, and show pigs

Minnesota

• All sites north of highway 212

• 368 locations identified

– 78 sow farms

– 25 nurseries

– 200 finishers

– 5 boar studs

– 11 show pigs

– 8 buying stations

– 1 truck wash

• 58% of sites tested– 5% positive

• Challenges– Interest from producers and

vets

– Communication

– Don’t know regional flow of pigs

Cuming County, Nebraska

• ~150 sites– Multiple truck washes

– 2 slaughter facilities

– Multiple feedmills

– Majority of pigs imported go to western part of county

– 2 major highways run through

• Progress– Located farms

– Initial meeting

– Created website

• Challenges– 4-H/show pigs

• Communication is key!

Carson, Colorado

• 1 producer– 3 sites – 15, 000 sows

– 2 sites – 8,000 nursery

– 3 sites – 8,800 finisher

– 1 truck wash

– 1 feedmill

• 40-50 sites 4-H projects

• Working group– Extension agent

– Colorado State

– BI

– Producer

• Challenges– Transport of market hogs

– Local vets have little interest in swine

Iowa County, Iowa

• Working Group

– ISU VDPAM

– IPPA

– Local and consulting veterinarians

– Local Producers

• Approximately half the geographic county

• Funding is from IPPA, PIC, BIVI

• 27 sites – 19 producers thus far

The Only means of attaining and sustaining Efficient sow herd productivity is through Good

Management, Disease Freedom, and Biosecurity

The Total Solution is rarely in a vaccine bottle

Thank You For the Invitation