A Voluntary Regional PRRS Elimination Project meeting will be April 9 from 6-7:30 p.m. at the U of M West Central Research and Outreach Center, 46352 State Highway 329, Morris, Minn.
The meeting agenda will include a presentation of updated maps with new symbols from PRRS Project Coordinator, Dave Wright, followed by discussions on what has been learned and what improvements can be made after the recent PRRS outbreaks in Stevens County. Discussion leaders will be Spencer Wayne, a veterinary consultant at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, and Randy Koehl, a pork producer from Hancock, Minn.
Paul Yeske, a veterinarian with the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, will discuss airborne shedding of the MLV vaccine virus, and swine veterinarian and U of M Professor, Bob Morrison, will highlight findings of the PRRS Prevalence Report. Wright will close out the meeting with distribution of oral fluid collection rope kits for additional surveillance testing and will provide participants with change of status forms.
Pizza and beverages will be served. There are no enrollment fees or participation costs and all pork producers are encouraged to attend.
To learn more about the Voluntary
Regional PRRS Elimination Project, contact project
coordinator Dave Wright, DVM, at (763) 242-7535 or
wright2us@aol.com. Additional information is also
found at www.prrs.org.
MEETING AGENDA
April 9, 2012 at 6 p.m.
U of M West Central Research and Outreach Center
46352 State Hwy 329, Morris, MN
6:00 p.m. Welcome and Introductions
Dave Wright
6:05 p.m. Presentation of updated maps with new symbols
Dave Wright
6:15 p.m. Discussion of recent outbreaks in Stevens
County area. What have we learned? What can we do better?
Spencer Wayne & Randy
Koehl
6:45 p.m. Airborne shedding of MLV vaccine virus
Paul Yeske
7:05 p.m. PRRS Prevalence Report: AASV Summary
Bob
Morrison
7:25 p.m. Distribute rope oral fluid collection kits
for additional surveillance testing and “Change of Status”
forms
Dave Wright
7:30 p.m. Adjourn
Please join us for pizza and more PRRS information.
For more information, contact Dave Wright, DVM, Project
Coordinator, (763) 242-7535 or wright2us@aol.com
The Voluntary Regional PRRS Elimination Project, which originated in Stevens County in 2004, now includes all of Minnesota north of U.S. Highway 212, plus all of Renville County.
The ultimate goal is to eventually eliminate PRRS from the region.
Additional project goals are to:
Identify all swine herds within the area
Invite producers to sign a participation agreement, which allows their PRRS status to be shared with other producers
Determine the PRRS status of each herd
Encourage elimination of PRRS if the herd is positive
Encourage improved biosecurity if the herd is negative.
The progress report as of Feb. 20 is encouraging:
868 sites have been identified
323 sites have signed participation agreements
54 sites are positive for PRRS
260 sites are negative
554 sites have an unknown PRRS status
The University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory now has the capability to test oral fluids for both PRRS antibodies (with an ELISA test) and for PRRS virus (with a PCR test). This allows producers and veterinarians to monitor disease status on a site by collecting oral fluids from strategically placed cotton ropes.
For more information on rope testing or the Voluntary Regional PRRS Elimination Project, producers can contact their veterinarian, visit the PRRS website at www.prrs.org, or contact Dave Wright, DVM, Project Coordinator at (763) 242-7535 or wright2us@aol.com.
Program Update
by Project Coordinator David Wright, DVM
December 21, 2011
Stevens County pork producers have set the example for the rest of the country in all the efforts made to eliminate PRRS from the county. We have had no reports of new infections or positive test results in more than a year. This has translated into higher profits and reduced risk of re-infection for all area producers. Read More.
