“In our challenge studies with a highly virulent European strain, the pigs had quite good protection from a vaccine that is new in Europe”

In conversation with Dr. Andrea Ladinig (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria) and Dr. Greg Stevenson (Iowa State University, USA) about investigations of genetics and vaccination to combat more virulent strains of the PRRS virus.

Running time: 23 minutes

“Peak titres can show 1,000 times more virus in blood serum with higher virulence strains”

In conversation comparing American and European views of high-virulence PRRS strains, Dr. Greg Stevenson (Iowa State University, USA) and Dr. Andrea Ladinig (University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria) describe marked differences in replication, in ability to cross the placenta before the third trimester of gestation and in severity of lung damage where these so-called hotter strains occur.

Running time: 33 minutes

“The tricky part of herd immunisation is how you introduce your gilts”

Our second podcast with Dr. Poul Henning Rathkjen of Boehringer Ingelheim Nordic covers the herd management procedures that support effective vaccination against PRRS.

Running time: 19 minutes

“Like a cloud that is spreading, the diversity of the virus is becoming bigger and bigger”

We hear from Dr. Poul Henning Rathkjen of Boehringer Ingelheim Nordic about the practical value of sequencing to identify a PRRS virus and indicate its origins.

Running time: 28 minutes

“We would like to have more proposals from the field”

Professor Enric Mateu (UAB/CRESA, Barcelona, Spain) chairs the five-person independent expert panel that judges applications for the annual European PRRS research awards sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Here he outlines the three winning proposals in the latest round, each receiving a 25,000 Euros award --- and invites more veterinary practitioners to consider applying.

Running time: 26 minutes

“It’s like an invading army in the lung, pigs can die from it within a day of infection”

This third podcast interviewing Dr. Greg Stevenson (veterinary diagnostic pathologist at Iowa State University, USA) deals with the incredibly rapid, virulent respiratory disease in pigs caused by Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae or APP.

Running time: 17 minutes

“Compared to PRRS, Mycoplasma is very slowly transmitted while influenza is a highly transmissible agent”

After our separate podcast with him about PRRS, veterinary diagnostic pathologist Dr. Greg Stevenson discusses coughing in pigs due to Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and the type-A swine influenza virus.

Running time: 33 minutes

“Coughs sound different because of subtle differences in the ways that organisms cause damage to the respiratory tract”

Pigs with PRRS have a distinctive cough due to the type of damage inflicted by the virus, we hear from Dr. Greg Stevenson (veterinary diagnostic pathologist at Iowa State University, USA). Combined with information on the number of pigs in a barn that develop coughing over time, this helps us to recognise PRRS and differentiate it from other respiratory pathogens.

Running time: 38 minutes

Would you like to know...

• Why pigs coughing with mycoplasma sound different from those with Influenza?

• Why PRRS recombines and what you can do about it? or

• How new PPV strains can affect reproductive performance in breeding herds without you realizing it?

Welcome to our Meet the Expert podcast, a series on swine Health and Management brought to you by Boehringer-Ingelheim, where Global opinion

leaders answer your most relevant practical questions.

Every Monday you can find a new episode of Meet the Expert either on PRRS.com, through your Spotify account or with Apple podcasts.

Stay informed, stay tuned!

Experts talk about pig production challenges