The Indiana State Board of Animal Health (BOAH) recently hosted a meeting of pork producers, veterinarians and others in the swine industry to discuss porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). The disease, which causes a variety of clinical signs from coughing to stillbirths to fever in swine, but has no human health affects, has become a significant health threat to swine herds across North America. The ever-changing nature of the virus has prevented researchers from developing an effective commercial vaccine. As a result, many herds are left unprotected against infection, leaving herd owners vulnerable to significant economic loss.
"We decided the time was right for BOAH to host this meeting," explained Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh, DVM. "Since we last hosted a PRRS meeting, five or six years ago, we have seen many changes in the industry, in research and in the regulatory side of things to indicate now is the time to reevaluate how we handle this disease. Those changes put Indiana in a position to be an industry leader."
The meeting drew individuals from all sectors of the pork industry, from commercial growers to seedstock producers to packers to pharmaceutical suppliers. The discussion revolved around ways BOAH can assist the industry in the battle against PRRS, such as:
- Support for regional PRRS control programs
- Data management support
- Data collection and mapping of information in support of a voluntary PRRS surveillance project
- Use of premises information to assist producers wanting to site new facilities
- Establish guiding principles for biosecurity
- Increase education and outreach on PRRS and biosecurity to all sectors
- Form an Indiana Swine Health Advisory Committee (including a PRRS scientific subcommittee)
- Survey Indiana’s swine practitioners concerning PRRS control measures currently in use in Indiana