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In 2019, pig farmers in Denmark were startled by an aggressive variant of the PRRS virus. The situation is now relatively stable again, but vigilance is still required. In this article you can read how the sector in Denmark came to grips with the extremely contagious recombinant.
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In us previous article have you been able to read about the outbreak of the so-called Horsens virus in Denmark. Although the Horsens virus outbreak appears to be under control after two years, veterinarian Jakob Korsgaard and his colleagues are still on the alert. “Good monitoring remains important, as well as good biosecurity measures, of course. In particular, compliance with strict quarantine protocols for purchased gilts is of great importance. After vaccination, these animals must be given time to build up sufficient immunity before being placed with the group.”
Horsens virus more contagious
Veterinarian Jakob Korsgaard of veterinary practice Q-Vet in Denmark describes the current situation as relatively stable, but emphasizes that alertness and extra measures are still necessary for the time being. “This recombinant is many times more contagious than the traditional PRRS virus, so as soon as you relax, a new outbreak is just around the corner,” says Jakob, who advised and helped several pig farmers during the outbreak to regain control of the situation on their farms. to gain control.
Reducing the chance of recombinants
“We were dealing with a new, unknown strain of the PRRS virus. We actually knew that before the sequence analysis confirmed it. The symptoms were much more severe. Especially gilts got really sick. And the virus spread at a remarkably fast pace,” Jakob remembers well.
“Because we did not know exactly what we were dealing with, we more or less forced to let the virus spread among the infected groups, so that the animals could build up a natural immunity. But the impact of this aggressive variant of the PRRS virus on the health of the animals was greater than we could have imagined. We soon saw that reflected in the production figures.”
Vaccinate against PRRS
Jakob continues: “Today it can still be a choice to have the virus circulate in a controlled manner in the event of a new outbreak, but I certainly do not prefer that with this type of virus. My preference is definitely to vaccinate with a reliable, live vaccine that does not spread very much, so that the animals can build up immunity and do not have to go through the disease.”
Don’t switch vaccines
When you combine vaccination with strict quarantine protocols, you already exclude many risks, says Jakob. “And, in my opinion, the small risk of a harmful recombinant developing can be significantly reduced by not switching vaccines within the companies. We know that the use of different types of live vaccines within a group can increase the risk of developing recombinants. You should not want to take that risk at all with a disease like PRRS.”
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