The announcement came during the 108th meeting of the U.S. Animal Health Association last week in Greensboro, N.C.

“This is tremendous news for the pork industry and is a direct result of producer-driven programs to eradicate PRV that were started in 1989,“ said NPPC President Keith Berry, a pork producer from Greencastle, Ind. “PRV has hurt U.S. pork producers, costing them an estimated $30 million annually through vaccine costs, testing, illness, loss of production and loss of access to some foreign markets. We are pleased to have won the war on this devastating disease.“

The Pseudorabies Virus is not a health risk for humans, however it is contagious in hogs and causes reproductive problems including spontaneous abortions and stillbirths in addition to respiratory and central nervous system disorders, according to Dr. Harry Snelson, NPPC Director of Science and Technology.

Many farmers continue to vaccinate their breeding herds for the disease, according to Berry, and random testing of swine herds on farms will be maintained. Hundreds of thousands of hogs have been tested since the coordinated program to eradicate the disease began in 1989.

The National Pseudorabies Control Board indicated in last week’s meeting that if there were no PRV outbreaks, the U.S. would officially be recognized as PRV free in October 2006.

“Although we are pleased to have battled PRV successfully, we urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue funding necessary studies to evaluate management and risk factors associated with PRV,“ Berry said.

Source: National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) - 4th November 2004