A research team from the University of Missouri and Kansas State University has been working to find a cure for a specific virus that affects pigs and costs the hog industry $800 million annually. In their latest study, the team disproved one way the virus spreads, which will help scientists narrow the search for an ultimate cure.
Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus(PRRSV) can inhibit pigs from reproducing and slow the growth of young pigs. When pigs are infected with the disease, farmers must clean everything. That means culling the herd, cleaning the barns and letting the pens sit empty until all viral material is killed. If that doesn’t happen, the virus can continue infecting new groups of hogs. Farmers have had access to vaccines for the last two decades, but experts warn they are not the best tool to fight the disease.
Posted by Chantal Lozano
08/01/2013
