By Tracey Peake
In the battle against disease transmission, pork farmers have to look out for more than just sick pigs. Researchers from North Carolina State University have modeled nine different potential transmission routes for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), and found that trucks used to move not only animals, but also farm workers and feed, can be carriers for disease spread.
PRRS, the syndrome caused by the virus, causes respiratory disease and decreased reproduction in pigs, and is the most economically significant disease affecting U.S. swine production.
"We created a novel mathematical model that includes potential transmission routes that haven't been explored in depth," says Gustavo Machado, assistant professor of population health and pathobiology at NC State and corresponding author of a paper describing the work.