Biosecurity Layers Critical as PRRS Discovered to Live in Feed

In a historic discovery, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus is confirmed to live in feed. Scott Dee, DVM and emeritus director of discovery and innovation at Pipestone Applied Research led the discovery. He says in all of the research that’s been done on virus susceptibility to survive within feed, PRRS has been neglected. In fact, research from many years ago concluded the virus could not survive in feed at all. But the data was insensitive so was mostly written off.

However, the recent confirmation from a feed bin on a sow farm undeniably reveals the major risk of PRRSA transmission. Dee says layering biosecurity protocols will be critical for pig farms. Even a farm that cleans its trucks, filters its barns and all other best practices is still susceptible to the feed-transmitted virus.

Read more on PRRS transmission here.