Animal Health at Farm Level: PMWS and PRRS - 26.09.2011

A new electronic learning resource that can be used for students and business has been developed and uploaded at the teaching and training platform www.porktraining.org

PMWS

PMWS typically affects weaned and growing pigs, causing important economic losses through increased post-weaning mortality, reduced growth rates and increased feed conversion ratios.

Post-weaning Multi-systemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) and Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) have emerged in the last 20 years, and are now widespread. Both diseases have caused major economic impacts in the pig industry in Europe and worldwide, becoming two of the most important pig diseases.

PRRS

PRRS’s main economic impact is through growth reduction and increased mortality. PRRS also causes reproductive failure, and post weaning pneumonia leads to increased treatment costs.

The nature and characteristics of PMWS and PRRS makes it unlikely that a single control measure would be enough to control these diseases. Instead a combination of herd management and biosecurity measures are needed for their control.

This e-learning resource provides information about two diseases of great importance in the pig industry – PRRS and PMVS.

PRRS is considered one of the main threats for the pig industry in most European countries. However, the situation differs between countries. It seems that most of the European countries are coping with the disease mainly by increasing biosecurity measures and a strict all-in all-out protocol. For countries free of PRRS virus there is a worry about introducing the virus via infected pigs or semen.

In Denmark the impact of PMWS is currently controlled through strict biosecurity practices along with high standards of farm hygiene. In the rest of Europe the situation seems to have improved since vaccines were introduced, but it is still one of the most costly diseases for the pig industry as a whole.