Irish Farmers Warned to Look out for PRRS Signs

IRELAND - The agriculture department has set out advice for pig farmers following the finding of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) virus at a breeding centre.
calendar icon 10 April 2013
clock icon 3 minute read

If farmers believe their pig herd to be at risk from the virus Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) or if they want to establish the disease status of your herd, the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) advises farmers to contact your Private Veterinary Practitioner (PVP), who will advise and guide you with regard to the general actions to be taken as follows:

  1. Identify the pig groups at risk, take 30 clotted blood samples and have them analysed for antibodies to the virus. You may need to take additional samples three weeks later to confirm infection as your pigs may only recently have acquired infection which may not show up on the first test. If you are sending the samples to a DAFM laboratory, you need to send them to the DAFM Blood Testing Laboratory Model Farm Road, Cork.
  2. Depending on the result, your veterinary consultant may advise you to vaccinate your herd.
  3. The vaccine is currently available under licence and can be applied for through your PVP at the Medicines Section DAFM, Backweston, Celbridge Co Kildare.
  4. The current DAFM policy is that if your herd tests positive, it will be restricted by your District Veterinary Office and you will have to apply for a licence to move pigs off farm to factory, carcases to rendering and slurry for spreading.
  5. These controls are currently in place on a number of farms and are designed to minimise the risk of spread of the disease.
  6. Points 4 & 5 may be subject to review as further information becomes available.

The advice given by your PVP may vary depending on size and type of your herd.

Further Reading

Find out more information on Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) by clicking here.
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