Effects of different PRRS control methods on sows performance in a pig farm in China

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Yang Li; Brook Fang; Yuxi Liu; Chunqing Sun

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., Shanghai, China, Yang_7.Li@boehringer-ingelheim.com

 

Introduction

In China, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) remains the major disease that endangers and restricts the reproductive performance of sows. PRRS 5 steps is a systemic strategy with multiply tools for PRRS control, which including gilts management and herd closure, vaccination, laboratory diagnostic, biosecurity, production management data analysis. The purpose of this study was to study the effects of different PRRS control measures on sow reproductive performance.

Materials and Methods

This study was conducted from December 24, 2018 to September 15, 2019, the GP sows is 1800. During this period, the farm had been closed. After the project started, the PRRSV vaccine was replaced by the VR-2332 vaccine, and the PRRS control program adopted PRRS 5 steps. Biosecurity status is was evaluated by COMBAT and on spot. The gilts and sows were first immunized twice in interval of1 month4 weeks apart, and then every 3 months. Piglets are immunized once at the age of 14 days. Two times MLV vaccination interval of 1 month for gilts. As the project began, the production data was collected on a weekly basis. And collect production data of the whole year before this project from January 1 to December 23 2018.

The data before and after the project were compared and analyzed through statistical process control analysis (SPC).

Results

After the project, the reproductive performance of sows has improved. The number of aborted sows, stillborn per week, and stillborn per litter decreased by 36%, 58%, and 65% (5.15 vs. 3.32, 31 vs. 13, 0.393 vs. 0.138) respectively. The number of farrowing litters and weaning litters both increased by 19% (81 vs 96, 78 vs 93).

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The performance of sows increased, the number of aborted sows and stillborn decreased significantly. The number of farrowing litter and weaning litter increased, which showed the farrowing rate of sows increased.

Conclusion and Discussion

After using PRRS 5 steps, Ingelvac PRRS MLV vaccine is continuously used to immunize the entire herd and the reproductive performance of sows has improved. PRRS control cannot rely solely on vaccines. Herd closure, gilts acclimation, strict biosecurity measures, unified, maximized, and homogenized vaccination are the most important measures to reduce virus circulation in the farm. Whole herd immunization can cut the infection chain of PRRSV, reduce the transmission of PRRSV from gilts to basic sows, and from sows to piglets, which can reduce the virus load in farms and improve the performance of sows.

Key words

PRRS 5 steps, homogenized vaccination, herd closure, sows reproductive performance