Vet: PRRS Can Be Treated
NEW HOLLAND (Lancaster
Co.) The devastating porcine
reproductive and respiratory syn
drome (PRRS) virus can be con
trolled in swine herds simply by
using methods to acclimate herd
resistance to the virus through gilt
and nursery management, accord
ing to a Midwest veterinarian.
Based on extensive research.
Dr. Scott Dee, a veterinarian with
Swine Health Center from Morris,
Minn., told 75 area producers and
Pfizer customers that research has
uncovered methods to effectively
deal with PRRS in swine herds.
Dee spoke at the annual Pfizer
Swine Serviceman’s Meeting on
Wednesday at Yoder’s Restaurant
The PRRS virus causes a condi
tion which suppresses a pig’s
immune response, allowing it to
contract a host of more debilitating
diseases. PRRS, once known as
mystery pig disease and other
names, was first identified in
The seminar examined the
effects of research con
ducted by Dr. Al Sutton, ani
mal science department at
Purdue University, on N-
Serve, an inhibitor added to
slurry that inhibits
denitrification.
North Carolina in 1987. It wasn’t
until 1992 that researchers first
isolated the virus in herds in North
America.
The disease effects all animals
in a herd. High fevers develop on
the herd. The animals become off
feed and lethargic and develop
severe respiratory symptoms. The
incidence of mortality, including
abortions and stillbirths, can rise
dramatically in a herd.
PRRS paves the way for other,
more dangerous, diseases to affect
the herd.
“It’s a very frustrating disease
to treat,” said Dee. “Nothing
seems to work." He said that
researchers tried everything they
could, including medication to
boost immune response, to little
avail.
The hope for a vaccine, some
two years away, holds little prom
ise because Of the different strains
of virus which can be present.
Also, the virus easily mutates
changes which makes detecting
and trying to treat it even more
difficult.
The key to treating PRRS,
according to the veterinarian, lies
in a research project that looked at
two Arizona farrowing operations.
In one farm, Farm A, 1,500 sows
and their offspring were examined
for PRRS and the effect on the
herd. In a similar farm. Farm B,
located within five miles of Farm
A, 2,500 sows and offspring were
examined.
The results were clear.
What caused the virus to take
hold in Farm A was the fact that
Farm A was purchasing gilts from
another source. Those gilts
showed no contact with the virus,
and had no immunity. Farm B,
which showed little effects of the
virus, used in-house multipliers
gills from its own slock that were
already “acclimated” to the virus.
Slowly, the herd was able to build
up sufficient immunity to PRRS.
Also, research indicates that to
effectively treat the virus, partial
depopulation, which uses an all-in,
all-out approach to the nursery
(and including a recommended
Effectively With Medication, Management
Diseases such as PRRS
and Salmonella-related pneu
monia, in addition to Actino
bacillus pleuropneumoniae
and others, must be treated
early or they can cost a lot In
terms of lost market value,
according to Marc White,
Pfizer swine species special
ist, Greenfield, Ind.
7-day down time with complete
cleaning and disinfecting of the
nursery) was most effective in rid
ding the virus from the herd.
This method can be used even in
relatively hog-dense populations
m some areas.
Facilities also have to be com
pletely separated if they are on site.
They cannot share the same air
passage or hallway, according to
Dee.
The important thing to remem
ber, according to Dee, is to “work
with your veterinarian really close
ly and use serology to make deci
sions on exactly what to do,” he
told the producers.
Also, making use of modified
medicated early weaning
(MMEW) can help keep PRRS and
other debilitating swine diseases
out of the operation.
But producers should do all they
can to reduce the "challenge" to
the pigs from viruses keep the
operation free of bacteria and vir
uses —to more effectively control
diseases on the hum, according to
Dee.
A form of MMEW correctly
implemented by the veterinarian
can translate into profits for pro
ducers, because hogs can be
brought to market a month earlier
With an improved average daily
gain. Also, pigs will be healthier,
which translates into savings on
disease prevention.
MMEW centers on weaning at
an earlier age about 12-14 days
—and moving pigs, if possible, off
site. Because sows can transmit
viruses and bacteria to pigs, it is
important to get the pigs away
from contact with the sows and
start medication early.
If the pigs can’t be moved
offsite, according to Dee, then
there are methods of management
to separate the pigs sufficiently
enough from the sows to gain good
herd health protection.
One method included adopting
the use of refrigerator trailer trucks
and using that as the nursery. With
inexpensive modifications, Dee
said research has shown that biose
curity was improved and the
nursery worked quite well in all
stages.
Stress was kept to a minimum,
even when the site was located up
to seven miles away.
A careful feed and medication
program was followed which
translated into improvements in
feed performance, average daily
gain, and days to market.
Diseases such as PRRS and
Salmonella-related pneumonia, in
addition to Actinobacillus pleuro
pneumoniae and other diseases,
must be treated early or they can
cost a lot in terms of lost market
value, according to Marc White,
Pfizer swine species specialist,
Greenfield, Ind. Producers need to
look at how medication is impor
tant to profitability.
He spoke about using Mecadox,
a Pfizer feedgrade antibacterial
that can help fight disease chal
lenges and promote rapid growth
RICHLAND NEW HOLLAND SINKING SPRING MT. JOY
717/866-2105 717/354-4136 215/678-7011 717/653-8026
© x urnaix ©
TEXACO 1 TEXACO
PETROLEUM PRODUCTS • HEATING ( AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT • AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIES
MAIN I LINDEN STREETS • P.O BOX 27t • RICHLAND, PA 17057-0278
LANCASTER MACUNGIE WOMELSDORF LEBANON
717/397-8244 215/965-9877 215/589-5513 717/272-2541
ATTENTION FARMERS! r^r
"Spring Motor Oil Specials"
Texaco Ursa Super Plus SAE 15w40 55 Gal. Drum ... $198.35
Texaco Ursa Super Plus Sfngle Grades (SAE 30,40 & 50)55 Gal. Drum ... $ 198.35
Texaco Ursa Extra Duty Single Grades 55 Gal. Drum ... $195.25
Havoline Formula 3 Motor Oil Single Grades 55 Gal. Drum... $212.85
Texaco TDH Tractor Hyd. OH 55 Gal. Drum ... $209.55
MULTIFAK EP2 GREASE
Case -60 Tubes $56.62 |■■
10 Pack - $9.95
Specials Good March 1 Through March 31, 1993
Other Texaco Oils and Greases On Special A 150... Call Your Local
Carlos R. Leffler Office For Details!
Non-Returnable... No-Deposit Drums
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, February 26, 1994-A2l
Dr. Scott Dee, a veterina
rian with Swine Health Center
from Morris, Minn., told 75
area producers and Pfizer
customers that research has
uncovered methods to effec
tively deal with PRRS In
swine herds. Dee spoke at the
annual Pfizer Swine Service
man’s Meeting on Wednes
day at Yoder’s Restaurant.
and efficient feed utilization. In
trials, Mecadox helped pigs get to
75 pounds of body weight nearly
four days faster than other medica
uons and nearly 16 days faster than
nonmedicaled pigs.
Also, the MMEW program at
the University of Minnesota util
ized by Dee made use of the inject
able antibiotic from Pfizer, Liq
uamycin LA-200.
Other topics at the seminar exa
mined the effects of research con
ducted by Dr. A 1 Sutton, animal
science department at Purdue Uni
versity, on N-Serve, an inhibitor
added to slurry that inhibits denit
rification, allowing nitrogen to be
present for crop utilization. Also,
Sutton spoke about the importance
of knifing or injecting fertilizer to
hold down volatization, denitrifi
cation, runoff, and leaching at
manure application time.