Next Steps for PRRS Control in Scotland: Year 2 (25/26)

This project aims to operationalise a disease control programme for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) in Scottish pig production

The aim of this project is to encourage uptake of well-established health interventions to increase pig health, welfare and production efficiency, leading to reduced GHG emissions per kg of output. This will also support, evidence and contribute to the long term development of sustainable farming. Currently PRRS affects roughly 40% of pig herds in Scotland and the disease leads to immune suppression and inefficiency in reproduction in affected pigs, particularly causing piglet mortality and leading to increased use of antibiotics. If we improve the health and welfare of pig herds in Scotland, we will not only reduce GHG emissions for PRRS, but for many other notifiable diseases through delivering improvements in pig health and biosecurity standards.

This project will tackle the disease through identifying infected premises and educating farmers on biosecurity to ensure that they are taking actions to prevent disease incursions. This will lead to significant reductions in disease and will ultimately present opportunities for eradication. Through adoption of good biosecurity controls in this scheme it will also help prevent the introduction of other pig diseases and in particular notifiable diseases where government has a statutory obligation to intervene and compensate, such as ASF which is currently spreading across Europe at pace.