It is believed to be the swine industry`s most expensive disease with a high mortality rate: Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome outbreaks cripple herds. Up to 75 percent of piglets in an infected herd can die within their first days of life, experts say.
Experts predict the battle may drag out another 20 years. But the statement, passed during AASV`s annual board meeting, shows the group eager to take a role in supporting research, practitioners and producers striving to eradicate PRRS. It`s a bold approach for the association and outlines AASV`s intent to steer efforts toward the disease`s elimination, Executive Director Dr. Tom Burkgren says.
`This is going to be a huge effort that in a big way will depend on the collaboration between universities, the government and a lot of other different parties,` he says. `Our goal is to make that clear to everybody.`
Those parties likely will include researchers at the University of Minnesota (UM), where professor Dr. Scott Dee, author of the position statement, has studied PRRS for years.
`Eradication is not realistic today; there are missing pieces in terms of the science,` he says. `But if AASV can correlate some of the research efforts, we`ve got a chance.`
The statement notes that because disease control has not been effective, eradication is a necessary long-term goal. As experts estimate, fifteen to 20 years from now, national eradication efforts could be underway.
Source: www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/
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