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President’s
message
 Putting the wheels in motion
In the July-August President’s message, I outlined the
AASV plan for PRRS. Specifically, I identified four roles that the
AASV can play in this long-term plan. The purpose of this
month’s message is to update you on progress of that plan and
fill you in on my activities as they pertain to it. I felt that as
I am your president, you needed to be aware of how I am serving
you. I would also be very happy to get some feedback on your
opinions on my performance and how I can improve as I move into my
next role as past president. Let’s revisit the four roles and
check our progress.
Role #1: We can be leaders. A number of our senior
members are happy that the AASV is “out in front” of
the PRRS effort. We have stated the long-term goal, began the
discussion, and are raising awareness of the need to rid the
industry of this economically significant disease. I have spent
quite a bit of my time this year traveling across North America
discussing our plan for PRRS. Thanks to Doug MacDougald, Tom
Gillespie, Joe Connor, and others, I have had the opportunity to
spend quality time with practitioners and producers and to garner a
wide variety of opinions on the pros and cons of PRRS eradication,
a great learning experience for me, to say the least!
Role #2: We can be scientists. An early emphasis of our
plan has been that science will lead the way and provide the
answers we need to move forward. I am happy to report that there is
a great deal of research underway across North America in the areas
of PRRSV aerobiology, regional control and eradication pilot
projects, and application of geographic information systems, as
well as diagnostics, immunology, vaccinology, and genetic
resistance. As far as my activities go, I am currently in the
middle of a year-long PRRSV transmission and biosecurity project in
conjunction with one of my graduate students, Andrea Pitkin.
It’s a high-risk project that requires daily supervision;
therefore, I am currently on leave from the University of
Minnesota, “sloppin’ hogs and chasin’
PRRSV.” Results from many of these research projects will be
made public at the 2007 annual meeting during the PRRS breakout
session and the research topics session, so get ready!
Role #3: We can be team builders. Our team is coming
together! The North American PRRS Eradication Task Force (PETF) has
had several meetings and conference calls. Under the leadership of
Paul Yeske and Monte McCaw, this group is gathering opinions on the
feasibility of PRRS eradication and what are the most important
“missing pieces of the puzzle” that need clarification
in order to enhance success. Dale Polson and Derald Holtkamp are
continuing to develop the AASV’s PRRS Risk Assessment tool
and train veterinarians in how to apply it at the farm level. My
efforts in this area have been primarily focused on developing and
chairing the Minnesota PETF. Our team is made up of practitioners,
researchers, diagnosticians, and producers from different parts of
Minnesota, as well as representatives from the Minnesota Pork
Producers Association and Board, its executive director, and Pam
Zaabel from the National Pork Board. It is my vision that this
model is replicated across North America, with the North American
PETF providing leadership and oversight, thereby maximizing
communication and collaboration.
Role #4: We can be educators. In order to be effective
educators, we need to keep educating ourselves! There are many
educational opportunities for AASV members to further their
knowledge on PRRS, such as the Leman Conference, the ISU Disease
Conference, the International PRRS Symposium, and our annual
meeting, just to name a few. I want to assure you that as I educate
producers about our long-term goal, I have been very careful in
stating that this needs to be a producer-driven, voluntary
initiative that is based on a well devised, science-based plan that
will take considerable time to formulate. We realize that
veterinarians can facilitate this initiative, but the producer
segment of the industry must lead it.
In closing, that’s where we are as of today. I look
forward to your input: please let me know what you think and how I
can serve you better. I also pledge to you that I will carry on
with these initiatives, not only as past president, but in years
beyond as well. I made a promise to you when I ran for vice
president to keep AASV in the forefront when it came to PRRS and I
intend to keep it. Thanks for your support and see you in
Orlando!
--Scott Dee
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