Key Messages

• The total cost of productivity losses due to PRRSV in the US national breeding and growing-pig herd was estimated at US$664 million annually.
• The per-female cost was $114.71 per year for every sow in the US breeding female inventory.
• On a per-pig basis, PRRSV costs the industry $4.67 for every pig marketed in the United States.
• Losses in the breeding herd account for 45 per cent and losses in the growing fattening phase are 55 per cent of total losses.

Article Brief

After a previous article from 2005 the goal was to reassess the current cost of PRRSV in the swine industry.

Using the productive data of 80 US commercial breeding herds and 639 groups of growing pigs that were on different health status regarding PRRSV infection, it was possible to determine how the main KPI (Key Performance Indicators) are affected by PRRS.

The KPI’s used were:

• ADG: average daily gain
• BA: no. of piglets born alive per litter farrowed
• BCR: breeding female cull rate
• BDR: breeding female death rate
• FCR: feed conversion rate
• LFY: litters farrowed per female per year
• MOR: mortality rate
• PMP: percent of pigs sold in the primary market?
• PWM: preweaning mortality

Then, in order to estimate the global cost for the industry and the proportion of breeding herds and growing pigs in each of the PRRS classifications, surveys swine veterinarians were performed. The swine veterinarians who responded to the survey (26/59) provided veterinary services to 2.34 million breeding females (46 per cent of the US herd), and for 41.5 million growing pigs (40 per cent of the annually marketed in the US).

The total cost was estimated to be $664 million annually for the whole industry, which represents $1.8 million every day. The per-female cost was $114.71 per year for every sow in the US breeding female inventory. On a per-pig basis, PRRSV costs the industry $4.67 for every pig marketed in the United States.

Losses in the breeding and growing-pig herds resulted in 9.93 million fewer pigs per year, or approximately 1.09 billion fewer kilograms of pork (as measured by carcass weight), marketed per year in the United States.

Lost revenue, rather than increased cost, was the primary source of losses attributed to PRRSV. Therefore, the financial impact of PRRSV was highest under the scenario where pork production was expected to be most profitable.

There are other costs attributed to PRRSV like animal health expenses, biosecurity and other outbreak-related costs which were an extra $477.79 million annually.

Reference

Holtkamp D.J., Kliebenstein J.B., Neumann E.J., et al. 2013. Assessment of the economic impact of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus on United States pork producers J. Swine Health Prod. 2013. 21(2):72-84.

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