Scotland steps up drive to eliminate PRRS as national control scheme enters Year 3

Scottish Pigs has launched Year 3 of PRRS Control and Elimination Scotland (PCES), the industry-led programme working to control and ultimately eliminate Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) from the Scottish pig herd.

PRRS is one of the most costly diseases facing pig producers worldwide, causing reproductive failure in breeding herds and respiratory disease in growing and finishing pigs. Funded by the Scottish Government, PCES is managed by Scottish Pigs, the farmer-owned cooperative representing all major commercial pig producers in Scotland, working in partnership with SRUC, Quality Meat Scotland, private veterinary surgeons and the farmers themselves.

From evidence to action

Testing of 150 farms over Years 1 and 2 found 35% to be PRRS negative. All of the positive herds with breeding pigs are already vaccinating sows, with most of them weaning PRRS-negative piglets. Year 3 marks a deliberate shift from gathering evidence to acting upon it by initiating regional and national control strategies.

Over the first two years, vets have also completed biosecurity assessments on 67% of Scottish pig units, 42% of which have now been audited twice. The repeat audits show real progress, with 55% of units improving their overall biosecurity score, 60% strengthening external biosecurity and one in eight improving by ten points or more. Early analysis has already linked PRRS-positive status to weaker deadstock management, loading bay disinfection and worker hygiene, giving farms clear priorities for further action.

“I’d like to thank every producer and vet who has taken part over the last two years. Their commitment to sampling, biosecurity surveys and meetings has given us a strong evidence base. Year 3 is about putting that evidence to work. PRRS doesn’t respect farm boundaries so tackling it means neighbours working together and that is exactly what this next phase is designed to do.”

Dr David Strachan, Veterinary Manager, Scottish Pigs

Regional Strategy Groups

At the heart of Year 3 are the four PCES Regional Strategy Groups covering the North, Aberdeenshire, Angus & Fife and the South, where producers and their vets will plan specific initiatives for area PRRS control and health improvement, informed by state-of-the-art information and mapping systems.

Ahead of the group meetings, a password-protected PRRS mapping tool developed by SRUC will be made available to producers who have completed PCES sampling and testing, and to their nominated herd vets. The tool shows the location and PRRS status of units within the scheme, giving neighbouring farms a shared view of disease risk in their area for the first time. Find out about access to the mapping tool →

On farm

Herd sampling will continue, retesting previously sampled herds to keep the mapping tool up to date, while PCR-positive samples will be sequenced to monitor for the emergence of new PRRS virus strains. Biosecurity assessments using the internationally recognised Biocheck.UGent system will continue, allowing industry-wide benchmarking.

New PCES biosecurity materials will also be made available to support staff training and practical on-farm improvements – see the signs and training materials.

Project funding remains available to help producers cover the additional veterinary time involved.

For more information, contact Andy McGowan at andy@scottishpigs.org.uk.

← All updates