Front Vet Sci

. 2021 Nov 5;8:769312.

 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.769312. eCollection 2021.

Next Generation of Voluntary PRRS Virus Regional Control Programs

Edison S Magalhães 1, Jeffrey J Zimmerman 1, Derald J Holtkamp 1, Dyneah M Classen 2, Douglas D Groth 2, Lauren Glowzenski 3, Reid Philips 4, Gustavo S Silva 1, Daniel C L Linhares 1

Affiliations 

Affiliations

• 1Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States.
• 2Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd., Carthage, IL, United States.
• 3TriOak Foods Inc., Oakville, IA, United States.
• 4Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Atlanta, GA, United States.

• PMID: 34805344
 
• PMCID: PMC8602550
 
• DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.769312

Abstract

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) became pandemic in the 1980's and today remains one of the most significant pathogens of the global swine industry. At the herd level, control of PRRSV is complicated by its extreme genetic diversity and its ability to persist in pigs, despite an active immune response. Ultimately, PRRSV control or elimination requires the coordination and active cooperation of producers and veterinarians at the regional level. Early voluntary PRRSV regional control programs focused on routine diagnostic testing and voluntary data-sharing regarding the PRRSV status of participants' herds, but no pre-defined action plans or decision trees were developed to secure project successes (or recover from failures). Given that control of PRRSV is paramount to producer profitability, we propose a coordinated approach for detecting, controlling, and ultimately eliminating wild-type PRRSV from herds participating in regional projects. Fundamental to project success is real-time, multi-platform communication of all data, information, and events that concern the regional project and project participants. New to this approach is the concept of agreed-upon action plans to be implemented by project participants in response to specific events or situations. The simultaneous and coordinated implementation of these strategies allows for early detection of wild-type PRRSV virus introductions and rapid intervention based on agreed-upon response plans. An example is given of a project in progress in the Midwest USA.

Keywords: PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus); elimination; monitoring; regional; swine.

Copyright © 2021 Magalhães, Zimmerman, Holtkamp, Classen, Groth, Glowzenski, Philips, Silva and Linhares.