WPX26: PRRS virus risk has changed

29 June 2026

6 minute read

By: Sarah Mikesell

North America

Dr. Nic Lauterbach, veterinarian and the Director of Technical Veterinary Services at Pharmgate Animal Health, recently spoke to The Pig Site’s Sarah Mikesell at the 2026 World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. 

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus continues to challenge producers despite decades of work. What has changed most in how producers and veterinarians need to think about PRRS virus risk today? 

Our team at Pharmgate gets asked about PRRS a lot because something has changed with this virus. Speaking from both my experience with Pharmgate and my prior experience as a practicing veterinarian, it seems that the viruses we're dealing with today are more virulent. They cause more severe disease, meaning they can be more detrimental to the pigs when they get into our barns. 

The second thing I've  noticed is that there used to be a seasonality component to this virus, and it was more prevalent in the colder winter months. Now it’s June, and we're still hearing of farms that are experiencing PRRS outbreaks. That's abnormal. 

Because of the stronger prevalence and threat of PRRS, we really need to be on top of biosecurity, making sure we keep this disease out of our pigs all year round. There’s no longer a “catch our breath” moment. 

We have to make sure that we are doing our processes and procedures correctly every day and that everyone on the farm understands those biosecurity processes. Ultimately, it's the best way to manage this disease. 

We work with a lot of producers and veterinarians on managing PRRS once it's into the herd. The best way to make sure that you don't have to feel the effects of PRRS is to keep it out of your barns with biosecurity practices. 

What factors should a producer and veterinarian evaluate before updating their PRRS protocol? 

This is not something that should be taken lightly – it's a big deal. Having a robust health team and a veterinarian who understands potential geographic concerns can be very important with disease prevention. Having that knowledge of potential strains of PRRS in your area, as well as the regional density of the disease, can provide valuable insight, and veterinarians can offer guidance on best practices for your farm. 

Producers should also consider their goals in biosecurity practices. Your health team and veterinarian are good resources if you’re considering changing vaccination protocol or type. The PRRS vaccine can have a positive impact in terms of reducing the clinical signs and incidence of PRRS. But it's still something that should be planned and discussed, just like any time you consider changing vaccine programs. 

Our team at Pharmgate can be a resource for you because we are out in the industry. We work with a lot of different producers and operations that have various goals. We work with sow farms, wean-to-finish sites and nursery finishing sites. 

As I think back to my days practicing before I joined Pharmgate, vaccine changes were never something that I took lightly. It's a big decision and commitment to your system. It's not something that we would ever suggest you do without some consultation with either your technical services team, your health team or the veterinarian that you work with. 

Do some producers have different barns with different protocols?

Yes, absolutely. Another important consideration in changing vaccine practices is labor. With PRRS vaccinations, there's a labor piece of this where the PRRS vaccinations on the market today are injectable vaccines. 

Because these vaccines need to be physically injected, producers should ensure they have the labor and know what the labor structure looks like to get the vaccine changes implemented correctly. If you have someone come in to give vaccines, you should ensure that the person understands your biosecurity processes because anytime we have people coming onto a farm, there is the potential to introduce a new virus. 

By doing something that we think is best for the pigs, we introduce a new variable that potentially increases our risk of breaking our farm with PRRS. It's not as easy as simply switching vaccine products or routines. There should always be a lot of planning and considering your risk analysis.

Vaccination timing and full-dose administration come up repeatedly in PRRS virus conversations. Why do those details matter and what can go wrong when vaccination happens too late or inconsistently? 

These are nuanced conversations, it's very tricky. From our standpoint at Pharmgate Animal Health, we see the value in vaccination. If you're going to vaccinate for PRRS, there's value in giving a full dose of the vaccine to those pigs. 

The timing part is interesting. Producers are often considering when they can get the vaccine into the pigs? With immunology, timing matters a lot. 

The vaccine is the pig's first experience with PRRS. When it’s exposed the second time, the pig's immune response is quicker and more robust than the first time it was vaccinated. There's an element of the immune system where the pig has to see the vaccine, then establish an immune response. Then, the pig clears the virus in order for the response to be more robust and quicker. 

If the window is too short, you lose some of the value of giving the vaccine, so timing is a huge piece of it. A lot of it is going to depend on the region you're raising your pigs, what the likelihood of exposure is and looking at risk analysis to maximize vaccination from a timing standpoint. 

Out of all the dosage options, our team at Pharmgate will always recommend a full dose. With the work that we've done with our research, we see value in giving the full dose. If you wanted to have additional conversations, your health team or veterinarian would be good resources. These are all extremely nuanced conversations that shouldn't be made in a vacuum. They should be considered with a lot of help and insight into your individual operation.

What practical biosecurity steps matter most, especially in nursery and finishing systems, where disease pressure increases quickly? 

The biggest piece of advice I like to give people when it comes to biosecurity is to keep it simple. The most effective biosecurity protocols are the ones that we do every day. 

Biosecurity inherently adds time and complexity to the day-to-day tasks that we are asking of ourselves or the people who care for our pigs. There's nothing efficient about the biosecurity process – showering in/out, changing boots/clothes or transporting hogs. We do it all for a reason, so I think keeping it simple and helping your people connect biosecurity practices with the reasoning behind them is effective. 

Everyone in our industry understands that PRRS is bad. It has severe impacts on pigs, results in higher antibiotic use and is also hard on the people. Everyone in this industry is in it because we enjoy caring for animals and being part of the supply chain stage of raising these animals to go into the food supply. 

Help people connect with why you’re asking them to shower before and after a task, or why they’re loading pigs or disinfecting areas a certain way. Help them understand how it keeps disease out and why it adds value. Many times, when we give a biosecurity SOP, we tell people to follow it, but we don't help them connect with the “why.” This is really important and helps with compliance. 

PPRS and other disease challenges are frustrating. Our team at Pharmgate has a lot of practical experience, and we've got a team that's been in barns and worked through these challenges at the slat level. If there's ever any way we can help you, we're really passionate in our role and want to help support swine producers and veterinarians any way we can.