Application of an Economic Calculator to Determine the Cost of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome at Farm-level in 21 Pig Herds in Germany

Overview

Journal Porcine Health Manag

Publisher Biomed Central

Date 2021 Jan 5

PMID 33397503

Citations 39

Authors

C Renken

C Nathues

H Swam

K Fiebig

C Weiss

M Eddicks

M Ritzmann

H Nathues

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) continues to be a major economic issue for the swine industry worldwide, not only due to acute outbreaks but also endemic infections. PRRS disease severity and consequently financial losses can vary greatly between endemically infected farms and estimation of damage is challenging. This study aimed to assess the economic effect of PRRS in a systematic way at individual farm-level for endemically infected herds, using a PRRS cost simulation tool. In total 21 German sow herds with endemic PRRSV infection were investigated. Data on health and production performance, farm management and environment to be fed into the calculator was collected on each farm, and blood samples taken to confirm the PRRSV status.

Results: All study farms experienced a significant loss attributable to PRRS. The median farm budget across all farms was - 31 € per sow and year, compared to a median simulated farm budget of 248 € if these farms had been PRRSV negative. The median total loss attributable to PRRS was 74,181 € per farm per year, corresponding to a median total loss per sow and year of 255 €. The impact of PRRS on farm profits was - 19.1% on average and - 41% in the worst case.

Conclusions: The calculated losses give a good hint of the economic damage due to PRRS for the pig industry. Even in endemically infected farms, farmers face a non-negligible damage and profit from a concerted PRRS control. The calculator has proven itself in the field to render a valid estimation of losses due to PRRS in endemically infected farms.

Citing Articles

Use of Saliva Analytes as a Predictive Model to Detect Diseases in the Pig: A Pilot Study.

Llamas-Amor E, Ortin-Bustillo A, Lopez-Martinez M, Munoz-Prieto A, Manzanilla E, Arense J Metabolites. 2025; 15(2).

PMID: 39997755 PMC: 11857661. DOI: 10.3390/metabo15020130.

Comparative survival of five porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus strains on six fomites.

Quinonez-Munoz A, Sobhy N, Goyal S Vet World. 2025; 17(12):2774-2779.

PMID: 39897367 PMC: 11784046. DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2024.2774-2779.

Discovery of small molecules against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus replication by targeting NendoU activity.

Zhu J, Lai Y, Cheng M, Dash R, Guo S, Guo J J Virol. 2025; 99(2):e0203424.

PMID: 39745451 PMC: 11852993. DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02034-24.

Effects of herd closure and medication programs on the infection of NADC30-like PRRSV in pig farms.

Chen P, Wu H, Wang X J Vet Sci. 2024; 25(6):e82.

PMID: 39608776 PMC: 11611488. DOI: 10.4142/jvs.24226.

Monitoring of Respiratory Disease Patterns in a Multimicrobially Infected Pig Population Using Artificial Intelligence and Aggregate Samples.

Eddicks M, Feicht F, Beckjunker J, Genzow M, Alonso C, Reese S Viruses. 2024; 16(10).

PMID: 39459909 PMC: 11512249. DOI: 10.3390/v16101575.

References

Wensvoort G, Terpstra C, Pol J, ter Laak E, Bloemraad M, de Kluyver E . Mystery swine disease in The Netherlands: the isolation of Lelystad virus. Vet Q. 1991; 13(3):121-30. DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1991.9694296. View

Allende R, Laegreid W, Kutish G, Galeota J, Wills R, Osorio F . Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus: description of persistence in individual pigs upon experimental infection. J Virol. 2000; 74(22):10834-7. PMC: 110963. DOI: 10.1128/jvi.74.22.10834-10837.2000. View

Fahrion A, Grosse Beilage E, Nathues H, Durr S, Doherr M . Evaluating perspectives for PRRS virus elimination from pig dense areas with a risk factor based herd index. Prev Vet Med. 2014; 114(3-4):247-58. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2014.03.002. View

Lopes Antunes A, Jensen D . Estimating time evolving cross-dependence of porcine reproduction and respiratory syndrome sero-prevalence in Danish swine herds. Prev Vet Med. 2019; 167:85-89. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2019.03.024. View

Nathues H, Alarcon P, Rushton J, Jolie R, Fiebig K, Jimenez M . Modelling the economic efficiency of using different strategies to control Porcine Reproductive & Respiratory Syndrome at herd level. Prev Vet Med. 2018; 152:89-102. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2018.02.005. View

Holtkamp D, Polson D, Torremorell M, Morrison B, Classen D, Becton L . [Terminology for classifying the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) status of swine herds]. Tierarztl Prax Ausg G Grosstiere Nutztiere. 2011; 39(2):101-12. View

Terpstra C, Wensvoort G, Pol J . Experimental reproduction of porcine epidemic abortion and respiratory syndrome (mystery swine disease) by infection with Lelystad virus: Koch's postulates fulfilled. Vet Q. 1991; 13(3):131-6. DOI: 10.1080/01652176.1991.9694297. View

Pileri E, Martin-Valls G, Diaz I, Allepuz A, Simon-Grife M, Garcia-Saenz A . Estimation of the transmission parameters for swine influenza and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome viruses in pigs from weaning to slaughter under natural conditions. Prev Vet Med. 2017; 138:147-155. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2017.01.008. View

Lunney J, Benfield D, Rowland R . Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus: an update on an emerging and re-emerging viral disease of swine. Virus Res. 2010; 154(1-2):1-6. PMC: 7172856. DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2010.10.009. View

10.

Stevenson G, Van Alstine W, Kanitz C, Keffaber K . Endemic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection of nursery pigs in two swine herds without current reproductive failure. J Vet Diagn Invest. 1993; 5(3):432-4. DOI: 10.1177/104063879300500322. View

11.

Zuckermann F, Garcia E, Luque I, Christopher-Hennings J, Doster A, Brito M . Assessment of the efficacy of commercial porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccines based on measurement of serologic response, frequency of gamma-IFN-producing cells and virological parameters of protection upon challenge. Vet Microbiol. 2007; 123(1-3):69-85. DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2007.02.009. View

12.

Young B, Dewey C, Poljak Z, Rosendal T, Carman S . Clinical signs and their association with herd demographics and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) control strategies in PRRS PCR-positive swine herds in Ontario. Can J Vet Res. 2010; 74(3):170-7. PMC: 2896797. View

13.

Swaroop S . Index of endemicity. Bull World Health Organ. 1957; 16(6):1083-101. PMC: 2538220. View

14.

Nodelijk G, de Jong M, van Nes A, Vernooy J, van Leengoed L, Pol J . Introduction, persistence and fade-out of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in a Dutch breeding herd: a mathematical analysis. Epidemiol Infect. 2000; 124(1):173-82. PMC: 2810898. DOI: 10.1017/s0950268899003246. View

15.

Pejsak Z, Markowska-Daniel I . Losses due to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome in a large swine farm. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 1998; 20(4):345-52. DOI: 10.1016/s0147-9571(97)00010-6. View

16.

Neumann E, Kliebenstein J, Johnson C, Mabry J, Bush E, Seitzinger A . Assessment of the economic impact of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome on swine production in the United States. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2005; 227(3):385-92. DOI: 10.2460/javma.2005.227.385. View

17.

Valdes-Donoso P, Alvarez J, Jarvis L, Morrison R, Perez A . Production Losses From an Endemic Animal Disease: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) in Selected Midwest US Sow Farms. Front Vet Sci. 2018; 5:102. PMC: 5996871. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00102. View

18.

Horter D, Pogranichniy R, Chang C, Evans R, Yoon K, Zimmerman J . Characterization of the carrier state in porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection. Vet Microbiol. 2002; 86(3):213-28. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-1135(02)00013-5. View

19.

Martelli P, Gozio S, Ferrari L, Rosina S, De Angelis E, Quintavalla C . Efficacy of a modified live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) vaccine in pigs naturally exposed to a heterologous European (Italian cluster) field strain: Clinical protection and cell-mediated immunity. Vaccine. 2009; 27(28):3788-99. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.03.028. View

20.

Holtkamp D, Yeske P, Polson D, Melody J, Philips R . A prospective study evaluating duration of swine breeding herd PRRS virus-free status and its relationship with measured risk. Prev Vet Med. 2010; 96(3-4):186-93. DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2010.06.016. View