The AASV has met with the National Pork Board (NPB) and interested representatives of the University of Minnesota Swine Disease Eradication Center, Minnesota PRRS Task Force, swine researchers from Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, interested practitioners, and PRRS Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP2) researchers to discuss the feasibility of exploring a program to begin the eradication of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) from the US swine herd.
Discussions regarding the prospect of swine production without PRRS began back in 2005 when the AASV Board of Directors adopted a position statement put forward by then association president Dr Scott Dee establishing the eradication of the PRRS virus as a long-term goal of the association. Since that time, veterinarians and producers have consistently achieved the elimination of the virus from individual herds. These successes have prompted the exploration of the challenges associated with virus elimination in production systems and, more recently, geographic regions. The success of these efforts and the development of tools to assess risks of re-introduction (such as Production Animal Disease Risk Assessment Program and additional diagnostic tools) and to minimize those risks (eg, air filtration, biosecurity, PRRS-negative breeding stock) have stimulated increased interest in pursuing strategies designed to ultimately eradicate this virus from the US swine herd.
The group met in August at the University of Minnesota to discuss terminology used to define the PRRS status of individual herds and classifications of regions involved in a PRRS eradication program. These ideas were subsequently shared with the NPB’s Swine Health Committee, which instructed the NPB staff to continue to evaluate the feasibility of a program designed to eliminate the virus on a regional basis, with the eventual goal of national eradication. The AASV PRRS Task Force has also been asked to comment on the proposed terminology and possible eradication strategy.
Everyone involved recognizes that this effort is a long-term project and that we may not have all the tools we would like to have to ensure success, but the technology is available to eliminate the virus from individual herds and regions. One immediate goal of the effort is to communicate the successful projects currently being undertaken and identify the important criteria that must be in place to realize those successes. This is the next step necessary to move toward a time in which PRRS virus doesn’t rob $560 million from the US swine industry annually. The path will not be easy and will not be without pitfalls and setbacks, but this group believes the goal of eradication is achievable if the effort is coordinated and those involved committed.
The AASV office (along with the AASV Foundation office) has moved!
Please update your files with the new street address below. The office telephone, fax, and e-mail address have not changed.
American Association of Swine Veterinarians
830 26th Street
Perry, IA 50220
Wow! AASV 2010 membership: what a value!
The AASV Board of Directors made a couple of key decisions during the AASV fall board meeting that dramatically increased the value of AASV membership. First, they kept the 2010 membership dues at $180, the same as last year. Second, the board voted to provide all AASV 2010 members with online access to the 6000+ proceedings papers and journal articles that comprise the Swine Information Library (formerly the Swine Information CD ROM) – at no additional cost! Previously, access to the online content was limited to purchasers of the Swine Information CD ROM ($80).
The AASV 2010 membership renewal notices have been mailed to all members, and contain details regarding this new benefit. After 2010 membership dues have been paid, the member’s AASV username and password are activated (in about 1 week) to permit access to the Swine Information Library on the AASV Web site at http://www.aasv.org/library/swineinfo/. The entire library may be searched by entering keywords in the box at the top of any AASV Web page and clicking “GO.” For assistance, contact the AASV: 515-465-5255 or aasv@aasv.org.
What’s in the Swine Information Library? It contains more than 10 years’ worth of presentations from the AASV Annual Meeting, Leman Conference, ISU Swine Disease Conference, George Young Conference, International Pig Veterinary Society Congress, and more! The library also contains all of the scientific articles published in the Journal of Swine Health and Production. Best of all, the complete text of every article is keyword-searchable.
Members who wish to have the Swine Information Library wherever they go – without an Internet connection – may purchase the entire 2010 Swine Information Library content on USB flash drive when they renew their membership. The Swine Information Library flash drive will be shipped in mid-March to those who order it.
The Swine Information Library flash drive is available for purchase only by AASV members and Journal of Swine Health and Production subscribers. Orders for the flash drive may be placed on the AASV membership renewal form (http://www.aasv.org/aasv/membership.html) or at http://www.aasv.org/library/swineinfo/. As in the past with the Swine Information CD ROM, journal subscribers must purchase the flash drive in order to receive online access to the Swine Information Library content.