Sow Farm Operators Advised to Step Up Biosecurity in Light of Increase in PRRS

The Associate Director of the Swine Health Information Center is advising pork producers, especially those operating sow farms, to be paying particular attention to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.The Swine Health Information Center's June domestic swine disease monitoring report, released as part of its monthly eNewsletter indicates PRRS virus positivity remains at high levels in the wean-to-market category, with 41 percent of submissions being positive.

SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton, says, when it comes to different diseases and disease challenges when we look at the overall case positivity that's reported by veterinary diagnostic labs, PRRS is one that still rises to the top.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:

The wean to market sector continues to be one that shows a higher level of expected positive cases compared to historical information because typically in the summer or warmer months we will see that decline.Right now, a lot of what is being submitted in the positive cases show the L1C.5 lineage of PRRS virus.

That is an increased identification in cases that are submitted.The identification of PRRS causes a couple of different things.One, it should be an alert to people that even though we're into the winter months when other diseases start to decline, there is a lot of virus circulating within the wean to market sectors and that should really increase the level of biosecurity and monitoring for sow farms because they are at risk if there's other wean to market farms near them, so again, an alert to really step-up biosecurity.

Secondly, what's also been noted is an increase in coinfections associated with PRRS and so it's always very important to note, PRRS is there but also having PRRS can cause coinfections so taking appropriate measures to manage those but also to prevent entry is still going to be top of mind even in warm summer months.

To access the Swine Health Information Center's domestic and global swine disease monitoring reports visit swinehealth.org.