USA - Swine Herd Finally Free Of Deadly Virus S.D.

It's history in the making for the U.S. hog industry: For the first time ever, commercial swine herds in all 50 states are free of the dreaded Pseudorabies Virus, a disease that has haunted -- and shaped -- hog production the past 30 years. But the recent announcement made by the National Pseudorabies Control Board, which promises expanded export markets and dropped production costs, has been met with only limited enthusiasm in South Dakota. "I don't think South Dakota producers will be affected much," said Chuck Olsen, a hog producer from Irene. "I've been exporting hogs to foreign countries for years through testing protocol. Pseudorabies is only one of many diseases included in these tests. For example, we just had a shipment of hogs go to China, and pseudorabies was only of very small concern." Pseudorabies Virus (PRV) has plagued the U.S. hog industry since its discovery in the mid-1970s. For decades, PRV was responsible for a variety of production hindrances, from infertility and spontaneous abortions to respiratory illnesses and central nervous system disorders. "As for producers, pseudorabies was an efficiency problem -- in farrowing, weaning, feeding, breeding, nearly all areas of swine management," said Bob Thaler, Extension swine specialist at South Dakota State University in Brookings. While mainly a hog disease, PRV was also associated with some death loss in cattle and sheep, said Dr. Sam Holland, state veterinarian with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture Animal Industry Board in Pierre. The eradication program began in 1989 when national experts identified PRV as a nationwide concern. South Dakota jumped on the bandwagon with one of the strongest programs in the nation, Holland said. The state has been PRV-free by 1996 but didn't apply for "free" status until this year because of the possibility of re-infection through the movement of hogs across state borders, especially with producers who manage operations in multiple states. "The South Dakota swine industry was very, very concerned about the disease," Holland said. "Producers and ag officials here were really intent about cleaning up the infection in the state. There was excellent participation. Other states with higher rates of the disease were less supportive of the program." Olsen said many states resented South Dakota's efforts in eradicating PRV from its herd. "Some even thought South Dakota had too strict of regulations," he said. "But it proved beneficial in the end. We got rid of pseudorabies faster." Because of PRV's highly contagious tendency -- transmission is possible via bodily fluids, through the air, and from contaminated equipment, feed and producers clothing -- most producers developed strict management plans to prevent transmission of the disease. This is in addition to federal eradication protocol calling for widespread surveillance, state import and export restrictions, and individual testing and vaccination. For example, Olsen said he implemented a "closed-herd concept," whereas the only new genetic material was introduced via artificial insemination. He also restricted farm visitation and required supervision of all visitors. Yankton County Extension Educator Craig Anthony recalled wearing booties over his shoes while weighing 4-H hogs at their home farms using home scales. At other farms, producers required potential visitors to complete an interview about places they may have visited beforehand. Workers and visitors alike had to take showers before entering the facilities, and at many farms, visitors were strictly forbidden. "The swine industry and country should be congratulated for their efforts," Holland said. Now that PRV has been eradicated from the commercial herd, Anthony said many producers can breathe a sigh of relief. "Pseudorabies was a cost to producers and something to worry about," he said. However, because the country must remain PRV-free for a period of time before the "free" status becomes official, producers can't expect to be relieved of restricted live-hog export markets until October 2006, Holland said. At that time, more advantages of completion of the PRV eradication program should come to light, he said. These benefits should include the potential subsiding of an estimated $30 million lost annually through the PRV eradication movement, lost export markets and reduced domestic production. Holland said producers should be able to reclaim those otherwise lost production and shipping dollars. However, the domestic swine industry plans to continue vaccination programs, and some surveillance and individual testing. PRV may still exist among some feral swine herds in the southern U.S. "We can never be assured with 100-percent certainty that this disease won't recur," Holland said. Anthony agreed. "Being free of pseudorabies should make things better, although we still have to be conscious of it," he said.