PRRS Area Regional Control and Elimination

Project 11-010 - Researcher: Jane Carpenter and Lori Moser (OSHAB)

Research Summary – Project 11/010
Researcher: Jane Carpenter and Lori Moser (OSHAB)
Research Topic: PRRS Area Regional Control and Elimination
Start: 2012                               Completed: funding from OP completed in 2015, but project is ongoing 

To address the need for information regarding the spread of PRRS virus, the Ontario Swine Health Advisory Board (OSHAB) launched a pilot Area Regional Control and Elimination (ARC & E) program beginning in the Niagara region. Enrollment in the program was voluntarily, with participating producers providing farm information including their biosecurity programs and pig flow. Enrolled sites received complementary PRRS status and strain testing. In addition, producers were provided with information about cost effective methods of PRRS testing and how to improve their biosecurity practices. Disease status results were mapped, with all enrolled producers able to access the PRRS status information within the region. The researchers suggested that the benefits of sharing disease information resulted in on-farm initiatives to help reduce disease risk, such as coordinated transport, changes to pig flow, rearranged transport routes, barn depopulations, regular testing etc. The open discussion between enrolled producers helped reduce negative stigma associated with disease outbreaks and encouraged producer support. Two years after the initiation of the pilot in 2011 the number of PRRS positive sites enrolled in the program in Niagara decreased to 15% from 39%, while the number of enrolled PRRS negative sites increased from 58% to 70%. Since the initial pilot in Niagara, the ARC and E program has since been expanded to several regions of Ontario, with over 546 enrolled farm sites. As the program progresses OSHAB hopes to develop more interactive mapping with up to the minute PRRS site status, while also implementing ARC and E programs for other significant diseases. 
Additional Resources:
Click on the link below to view the ARC and E website and a current summary of results.