Alex Hintz, DVM, NOVUS technical services manager

During the 27th International Pig Veterinary Society Congress and 15th European Symposium of Porcine Health Management, a startling update was shared about the lost income due to Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS).

For years, the cost of PRRS for the U.S. pork industry was estimated between $600-700 million (and as high as $900 million) a year. This is about $8-9 per pig marketed in the U.S. New information accounting for the virus’s impact on grow-finish pigs puts that annual cost closer to $1.1 billion.

While African swine fever (ASF) may grab headlines, longstanding viral diseases like PRRS and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv), and the array of secondary infections associated with those issues, are top concerns for swine producers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

As the producers and nutritionists struggle for profitable production, what can be done to stop the impacts of impactful diseases?

Affecting virus contamination in feed is a key step to reducing illness on the farm. Research from Dee et al. (2018), shows viruses like PRRS and PEDv can survive in soybean meal. The ability for ingredients, or complete feed, to effectively carry viruses makes feed a biosecurity gap beyond typical bacterial contaminants.

Biosecurity measures like truck washing, boot covers, site-dedicated production supplies and clothing, and sanitizing personal items like smartphones, lunch boxes, etc. can reduce the spread of disease from one farm to the next. Intelligent nutrition can also help.

Aside from formaldehyde and antibiotics, organic acids are one of the best ways to limit pathogens in the gut. Organic acids can penetrate the pathogen membrane, disrupting the pH balance and the electron transport chain. As a result, organic acids are used widely to support gut health and nutrient utilization.

There are also studies showing how organic acids can impact viral load in feed. Trudeau et.al. showed in 0.44 days ACTIVATE^® DA Nutritional Feed Acid from NOVUS can reduce PEDv viral load in raw feedstuffs. This feed acid is a combination of granular organic acids and 2-hydroxy-4-methylthio butanoic acid (HMTBa) – a highly available source of methionine. The feed acid has also been shown to affect Salmonella and E. coli counts; which is significant due to recent struggles to control E.coli with antibiotics.

Research from Dee et al. also showed that ACTIVATE^® DA Nutritional Feed Acid at 0.5% (10 lb/ton) helped reduce the survivability of PEDv in contaminated feed. After six days, none of the pigs that ate the contaminated feed and were fed ACTIVATE^® DA tested positive for PEDv. The trial also tested the impact of ACTIVATE^® DA on PRRS. At 0.15% (3 lb/ton) and 0.5% (10 lb/ton), the nutritional feed acid helped reduce the survivability of the 1-7-4 PRRS challenge strain in the feed and no pigs tested positive at either feeding level for the PRRS strain after six days eating contaminated feed. 

Viruses like PRRS and PEDv are costly to the pork industry. They cut into profits, ultimately hindering pork producers from meeting their goals in a market with already tight margins. Reducing viral load in feed before it even gets to the pig is one way to support pig performance and farm profitability.

For more information about ACTIVATE^® DA Nutritional Feed Acid, visit novusint.com.

References available upon request