Farmscape for July 7, 2011   (Episode 3618)

The Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians is confident strategies developed through regional efforts aimed at controlling PRRS can be applied to the control of other disease that affect the Canadian swine herd.

With funding provided by the Canadian Swine Health Board the Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians has taken the lead in coordinating efforts aimed at controlling or eliminating PRRS.

As part of that mandate the association will provide technical support and coordinate communications among the various groups involved in regional PRRS control efforts.

Dr. Leigh Rosengren, one of two National PRRS Area and Regional Control and Elimination Coordinators, notes PRRS is the most expensive disease affecting the Canadian swine herd costing an estimated 130 millions dollars per year.

Clip-Dr. Leigh Rosengren-Canadian Association of Swine Veterinarians:
PRRS is a viral disease that affects all ages of pigs.

It's endemic in Canada meaning it's present across the country.

The clinical signs vary markedly between herds and also depending on the virulence of infecting strain.

Farm level biosecurity and intervention is very effective in eliminating the disease from a herd but producers have realized, because there's so many ways this virus spreads, that factors outside of their control cause then to become reinfected so this disease really does need to be tackled at a regional level.

Successful PRRS control would first and foremost mean  an improvement in the health status of the Canadian swine herd.

We would see less expenditures on pharmaceutical interventions, we would see improved productivity and gain.

But I think it would also mean a paradigm shift in the way we think about health and health control in this country which would move us to a whole new level of biosecurity, health management and productivity.

Dr. Rosengren suggests, if we can achieve control or eradication of PRRS on a regional level, we'll have the tools and systems developed that we can apply to almost all of the other diseases that are endemic in Canada.

For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       * Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork Council