PRRS ARC & E in Small Farrow to Finish Operations in 3 connected counties in Alberta Canada.

This project is to first in Alberta and western Canada to eradicate PRRS from 3 adjoining counties with endemic PRRS infection problems from small continuous flow farms as well as multisite operations, and pursue the understanding of the economics of before and after PRRS positive status. We initially established that 13 of 25 sites were PRRS positive. We have now successfully eradicated PRRS in all of participating locations.

PRRS eradication in small family farms and 3 site systems was achieved through client adoption of the understanding of several fundamental PRRS eradication principles described below:

i) Stabilization of the Sow herd through herd closure minimum 8 months and internally derived stable gilts.

ii) Ingelvac PRRS MLV vaccination (BI) was strategically utilized for gilt stabilization in some herds and systems. Vaccination also contributed to the ‘convincing’ of producers that our PRRS strains, though considered ‘PRRS-lite’, were worth mitigating and or removing, despite previous opinions.

iii) Demonstrate ‘PRRSV Sow Stability’ through multiple serologic PCR evaluations of piglets at birth to weaning.

Eradication has been achieved with partial depopulation of nursery grower & finish pigs. Typically this procedure included the weaning to the offsite location for a certain period of time to facilitate the proper down time on the original F-F site for adequate clean up and proper disinfection procedures.

Through serological herd evaluation we established PRRS virus stability in the farrow to finish farm: The sero-profile typically has been:

30 individual suckling pig 1/litter

10 Nursery (more samples if nurseries are all in all out)

10 Grower (more samples if AIAO rooms)

10 finisher (more samples if AIAO rooms)

5 gilts prebreed, postbreed-mid pregnancy

5 Sows of each parity out to 6+ parity

Samples were all tested using the Idexx 3X PRRS ElISA test and pools of 3 for PRRS PCR testing. PCR positive samples had ORF 5 sequencing for reference.

Results: This project was initiated in 2004 with the first geographically safe location and has now been completed in all participating farms in the 3 counties as of Dec 2015. These producers now enjoy significant improvements in nursery-grow-finish performance, finish floor mortality, feed efficiency and financial barn close-outs. All sites have been involved in PADRAP assessments, producer education sessions on PRRS and ongoing biosecurity education.

Our ARC and E project involving 3 adjoining counties has served to demonstrate that PRRS eradication can be accomplished successfully in Western Canadian Swine herds.

Disclosure of Interest: None Declared.