The Pork Checkoff’s Swine Disease Research Task Force recently funded new research projects to improve understanding of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV).
PRRS, also known as “blue ear disease,” was discovered in 1987 and costs the United States an estimated $560 million annually because of reproductive failure in sows and deadly pneumonia in piglets. PEDV is a type of coronavirus that causes diarrhea and vomiting, killing between 50-100% of infected piglets.
The research projects to address PRRS are focused on the evolution of the virus and how response strategies like vaccination may affect its evolution and transmission. PEDV projects aim to identify where the virus is circulating in pork‑producing states, even in places without visible signs of disease.
All funded projects align with the National Swine Health Strategy, developed by the National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council and state pork groups. The strategy focuses on reducing domestic swine disease and keeping foreign swine disease out of the country, with an ultimate goal of eliminating PRRS and PEDV.
The next Swine Disease Research Task Force funding deadline is Aug. 10.
