The Pseudorabies Control Board met at the US Animal Health Association’s (USAHA) 110th Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN on October 16 and voted to recess the committee activities unless needed to address future PRV program issues.
The Control Board, established prior to the initiation of the PRV eradication effort, was initially charged with establishing, updating and interpreting the program standards which guided the producer-driven PRV eradication program. PRV was successfully eradicated from the U.S. commercial swine herd in 2004.
The PRV Control Board was instrumental in evaluating the research, epidemiology and regulatory aspects of the disease program and awarding PRV status to states as they advanced through the program. They maintained an active dialogue with USDA to insure the consistency of regulatory policy and program standards. When necessary, the Control Board also provided a forum for encouraging continued state progress.
During its meeting in Minneapolis, the Control Board heard a report on the current status of PRV in the U.S. While PRV is known to exist in the feral swine population, the commercial swine herd remains free of the disease. The Board considered a proposal from USDA to direct on-going surveillance efforts at animals from high risk counties moving interstate. While most Board members were in agreement that surveillance should target the animals most at risk of exposure, there was much debate about how to effectively conduct the surveillance without placing undue burdens on producers or state animal health officials. The proposal was deemed to require further consideration.
In voting to recess the Board, it was agreed that future PRV related issues would be addressed in the USAHA’s Transmissible Diseases of Swine Committee and in the National Institute of Animal Agriculture’s (NIAA) Swine Health Committee. The PRV Control Board would retain its charge as the oversight committee for the PRV eradication program and would meet as needed.