In practically every discussion at the Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) Swine Health Seminar in Omaha, NE, the talk has been about Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome … better known as PRRS.
It’s estimated that the disease costs pork producers $560 million a year in this country alone. And it’s why Dr. Randy Jones, a veterinarian with Livestock Veterinary Services, has told his fellow vets that the only real option is eliminating the disease altogether.
“If we can’t control it, we need to eradicate it.”
But Dr. Jones says that eradicating it is easier said than done. So in the meantime, producers have to minimize their risks.
“We can’t take [risk] away, but we can minimize it with immunizations and biosecurity.”
He says if they can get outbreaks of PRRS down to once every five years instead of once a year, farmers will save money. Dr. Jones says that eradication is probably still years away, underscoring the importance of good vaccines and good management practices. He adds that while the current PRRS vaccine isn’t a perfect tool, it is a tool that can help cut down on those outbreaks and, hopefully, preserve some bottom lines.
You can hear more of my conversation with Dr. Jones below.