In the United States there are approximately 208,780 swine herds with only 2.5 percent of these herds listed as being infected with pseudorabies. This leaves 97.5 percent or slightly over 200,000 herds that do not have pseudorabies. It is the responsibility of state/federal regulators and swine industry leaders to establish programs that protect the not infected herds, and then in a timely manner finish the eradication of pseudorabies in the remaining 2.5 percent of herds. For the most part, plans for protection have been implemented. Our immediate challenge is to complete the eradication.

Figure 1 shows the program stage and number of infected herds in each State on January 1, 1995.

Figure 2 shows the total herds listed as infected at the end of each quarter during the past four years. This number has been declining since mid-1992.

Figure 3 shows the infected herds newly diagnosed during each quarter of the past four years, and also the progress in cleaning up infected herds during the same period. Ten thousand five hundred and fifty nine (10,559) herds have been cleaned up during this period.

Initial area testing has now been completed in nearly all areas of the United States. All infected herds should now have been identified and every infected herd should be enrolled in a cleanup plan that can demonstrate progress. The number of newly discovered infected herds should begin to decline while the number of herds cleaned up should continue to increase. I want to further emphasize the importance of reducing the number of newly infected herds. Strategies to aid in this are:

1. Stop seroconversion in the grow/finishers

-Make up 87 percent of our swine

-Create enormous amount of virus when positive

-Accomplished by

A. Segregation (All-in/All-out)

B. Vaccination

C. Reduced stress

-comfortable environment

-adequate pen space, feeders, waters etc.

2. Improve biosecurity during the marketing process

3. Isolate and retest new additions to the herd

4. Rotate infected breeding herds as rapidly as possible

-Reduce virus shedding by

A. Vaccination

B. Grouping according to age

C. Reduce other stress

 

To further ensure that all states are working toward a goal of eradication by the end of year 2000, a national training seminar has been scheduled for June 6-9, 1995, at Ames, Iowa. Program managers and swine industry leaders from the twelve States that have or have had significant pseudorabies infected herds are being asked to develop strategic plans on how they plan to accomplish this goal. A proceedings will come from this meeting outlining the national plan.

Surveillance methods and strategies must be improved in some areas and adjusted to serve the needs of all States. Plans are underway to include the lower prevalence part of Iowa (southern counties) into the slaughter sampling program. Dr. Mark Schoenbaum, Swine Epidemiologist, Central Region, will be working with several states to try and improve specificity and correct some of the problems with slaughter sampling. A livestock inspector in North Carolina and others are to be congratulated on the innovative ways developed to collect first point samples in North Carolina. An excellent video is available from North Carolina Department of Agriculture showing how this is accomplished. First point testing has been very successful for many of our states. There are still a few high volume slaughter plants that should be collecting samples. This will be especially true if more states enter into the Major Packer Surveillance Program.

Funding of the program is always a topic of interest. The federal government is committed to maintaining national surveillance programs and is less likely to continue funding herd cleanup at past levels. With the progress that we have made, this may not be as painful as it sounds because there will be less herds to cleanup. Programs that can demonstrate progress are more likely to be funded adequately, therefore, it behooves us to complete pseudorabies eradication close to the targeted date.

Feral swine studies are still being funded, and it is intended that these studies will give us more information on preventing the spread of pseudorabies and/or swine brucellosis from feral pigs into our domestic swine herds. Any movement of feral swine for any purpose other than to slaughter should be strictly controlled so as to abide by the standards outlined in the Pseudorabies Eradication State Federal Industry Programs Standards.

In closing, I would like to express my appreciation to all those who have worked hard in making the progress that we have achieved to date. However, we still have a lot to do, and we will be looking at shorter time frames in which to finish our goals. The management strategies developed to eradicate pseudorabies have enhanced the overall health of many of our swine herds. High health status swine are more profitable, are more marketable, and will have greater access to international markets.

Map

Chart 1

Chart 2