One of the challenges of controlling PRRS (Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome) is the diversity in which the disease presents itself.

“We can have several hundred different types of PRRS around and one of our main concerns is that every year we isolate new types of PRRS,” says Enrique Mondaca, a member of the Boehringer Ingelheim (BIVI) PRRS Area Solutions Team. During the BIVI PRRS Area Regional Control Workshop in Chicago last week, Enrique presented work they are doing in creating a bioportal tool that can help understand the genetic diversity of the swine virus. “With the bioportal we can see through time how new siblings of PRRS are coming into the area.”

They are in the initial stages of integrating the bioportal program that was originally developed for Foot and Mouth Disease to adapt it for PRRS. “The more you know, the better you can control it,” Enrique said.

Listen to my interview with Enrique here here: Enrique Mondaca

Check out photos from the BIVI PRRS ARC workshop here on Flickr.