AASV President-elect Dr. Scott Dee was invited to attend the Ontario Pork Industry Council Swine Health Advisory Board (OSHAB) meeting on January 11-13, 2006 to discuss North American PRRS eradication efforts. Dr. Dee accepted an invitation to serve on the Board and provided the following summary of the meeting. "OSHAB is particularly pleased that Scott eagerly volunteered to join and participate in our Board. The involvement of AASV added tremendous credibility to OSHAB and its endeavours. The Ontario industry now realizes that PRRS eradication is an international goal, one that requires a great deal of interaction and co-operation between not only the various industry sectors in Ontario, but also with other areas of North America. Only by working together and sharing information will we be able to control PRRS and eventually achieve our common goal of eradication in North America" stated Dr. Gaylan Josephson, committee Chair.
Objective of this visit:
- Learn about the structure and function of OSHAB.
- Establish the AASV executive committee’s position as a liaison between US and Canadian PRRS eradication efforts.
- Explore the possibility of replicating the organization in the US.
Introduction
The Ontario Pork Industry Council (OPIC) is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to improve the viability and sustainability of Ontario’s pork industry. It consists of stakeholders who represent all sectors of the pork supply chain. OSHAB is a committee of OPIC made up of veterinarians (Ontario Association of Swine Veterinarians), producers and numerous industrial partners. Its mandate is to provide clarity and solutions for economically significant disease problems of pigs. Their primary focus is on PRRS and a PRRS subcommittee has been formed. AASV members who act as drivers of the organization are Drs. Gaylan Josephson (chair), Ernest Sanford, Cathy Templeton, Cate Dewey, Martin Misener, and Doug MacDougald. OSHAB has a board of directors and an external stakeholder advisory board made up of contributing members. They are well-funded, having raised over 460K from pledges from Ontario Pork, various vet practices, industrial partners, etc.
Current efforts
OSHAB is currently directing the following initiatives:
- Holding discussions with the leaders of the various swine industry sectors within the province to better communicate the economic significance of PRRS, how each specific sector plays a role in herd-to-herd spread of the virus, and what is the current level of knowledge that can reduce the risk of spread. Sectors include swine breeders, the AI industry, trucking, pig brokers, feed industry and the swine veterinarians.
- Initiating a research project with the University of Guelph that will involve the mapping of PRRSV-positive farms, coordinating diagnostic data with sites (sequences) and evaluating risk factors for spread. Cate Dewey is in charge of this project.
Future efforts
- OSHAB is contemplating the evaluation of protocols, farm characteristics and control strategies on PRRSV infected and naïve farms in an attempt to develop a list of best management practices for PRRS management and eradication.
- OSHAB will hold a series of meetings to inform/educate producers about their mission, the progress of their efforts and the need for further research.
- Hold management meetings for the various sectors to educate the work force on the importance of eradication of PRRS in Ontario and what each sector can do to enhance the successful achievement of this goal. I have been asked to participate in the trucking session.
AASV input
During my time in Canada, I visited with the Ontario swine vets, the OSHAB board, the stakeholder board, as well as leaders from the trucking and breeder sectors. The message I delivered included the following points:
- The position of the AASV on PRRS eradication,
- The fact that the AASV is highly supportive of the collaborative efforts in Ontario,
- The need for the US and Canada to work together and the role of AASV executive committee to serve as a liaison between the countries,
- An update on current and future research in the US on PRRSV area spread and biosecurity, and
- The willingness of the AASV executive committee to assist with education efforts, serve as external PRRS researcher and reviewer of OSHAB projects, as well as provide a conduit for the transfer of real time information on PRRS research in the US.
Value to AASV
- The presence of the AASV at this last round of meetings was very positive and well-appreciated by the OSHAB group. The fact that we have come forward with the PRRS Eradication position statement was viewed as a landmark step and was applauded by all. This position coupled with our presence added a great deal of credibility to the initiative.
- This is a potential model of industry-wide collaboration towards a common goal of eradicating PRRS from Ontario that could be easily replicated throughout key areas of the US. OSHAB is already establishing collaborations with AASV members from the other provinces (e.g. Drs. Harding, Batista, Sheridan, etc).
- Based on the comments from many of the involved parties, the initiative has significantly improved communication throughout the various sectors of the Ontario swine industry, particularly, but not exclusively, the veterinarians. Therefore, I believe our membership in the US and Mexico will gain a great deal of information regarding how this initiative works, obstacles it encounters, different approaches to problem solving, and new information from the research efforts.
Conclusion
I am very interested in following this initiative through my Presidency, enhancing the growth of similar groups in the US and Mexico, and maximizing communication across our respective borders. I am now a member of the OSHAB board, so the foundation for further collaboration has been laid. I would like to thank all of you for your support. I am convinced that the involvement of the AASV executive committee with OSHAB will be well received across North America.