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Swine producers, especially those in the US, are becoming increasingly concerned about new variants of the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS), which have been challenging production units, says Anpario’s swine expert Heidi Hall.
This particular virus is most commonly a problem for producers in the US from October through to April, however these new variants are persisting into the summer months and appear to be becoming even more lethal.
The impacts of the new variants includes a fast-rising increase in aborted litters and mortality rates, alongside reduce sow feed intakes. The new variant is also known to affect pigs in nursery and grower-finisher phases, with animals suffering from reduced feed and water intake, as well as showing signs of respiratory distress.
“The concern seems to be most acute among producers in the Upper Midwest of the US,” said Heidi Hall, global technical service manager and swine expert at Anpario. “We have seen a significant uplift in the number of swine producers using pHorce, an effective acid based eubiotic with proven antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties.”
Last year, independent trials were conducted by Dr Scott Dee at Pipestone Applied Research Facility. These trials tested the anti-viral efficacy of widely available feed additives against viruses, including PRRS, PEDv (Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus) and SVA (Seneca Valley A). pHorce was shown to be an effective anti-viral in-feed mitigant, at a relatively low inclusion rate, against each of the viruses tested.
“Supplementing sow diets with pHorce is helping units to remain open, healthy and profitable”, explained Anpario’s Heidi Hall. “With serious concerns over the new PRRS variants, this in-feed mitigant provides insurance to the unit against bacterial, fungal and viral threats, protecting the sow and their investment."
July 7, 2021 - Anpario
