The Role of Vaccine-Derived Immunity for PRRS Control: Three Perspectives

by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc./November 1, 2022

Over the last 25 years, swine producers have battled the challenge of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), relying on many of the same tools since the beginning. While these tools are still effective, PRRS control continues to be a challenge due to new strains, leaving many producers frustrated and yearning for innovation. While some emerging strains may be more challenging than others, research and experience in the field have shown us that managing any strain of PRRSV comes down to the basic principles of biosecurity and immunity the industry is already familiar with.

Boehringer Ingelheim U.S. Swine Division hosted a webinar in partnership with National Hog Farmer to provide an overview of our current understanding of PRRS immunology and vaccine-derived immunity, digging into how we are applying learnings from the most current field-applicable research and, finally, revealing how veterinarians and producers are not only flexing current tools for successful PRRSV management, but also finding opportunities for innovation.

Three swine industry experts contributed to this webinar to offer three unique perspectives that encompass the key aspects of PRRSV management:

Dr. Michael Roof, chief technology officer for the vaccines and immunotherapeutics research and innovation platform at Iowa State University, provided an overview of PRRS immunology, examining where the industry has been over the last 25 years in terms of PRRS immunity, and what has made the development of new PRRS tools so challenging. Dr. Roof also discussed the critical role of vaccine-derived immunity for PRRS control, and shared best practices for creating immunity in pigs.
Dr. Daniel Linhares, an associate professor of veterinary diagnostics and production animal medicine at Iowa State University, summarized recent innovations in diagnostic tools and protocols, and how these learnings could further sophisticate PRRS control.
Dr. Clayton Johnson, director of health at Carthage Veterinary Service, shared a practitioner’s perspective on PRRS, offering first-person commentary about how he and his team are applying complementary tools for PRRS control – including biosecurity – what they have learned and where they have observed areas for improvement.

View the webinar here. For more information on PRRS control strategies, contact your Boehringer Ingelheim representative.