Pig farms may be more likely to experience outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) when nearby fields are treated with pumped manure from other pig farms, particularly if those other farms test positive for the virus, according to new research from Iowa State University.
The study analyzed data from a large, multisite swine production system to identify associations between PRRS outbreaks and when manure was pumped from site pits or sprayed on nearby crop fields. Researchers from Iowa State University also collected samples of manure and oral fluids from housed pigs to test for the virus, and determined that the oral fluids were significantly more likely to test positive for PRRS after manure pumping on site pits, regardless of whether the pigs ultimately developed symptoms of the disease, according to Ana Paula Poeta Silva, a research scientist at Iowa State and the lead author on the study.
