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. 2021 Jan 4;7(1):3.
doi: 10.1186/s40813-020-00183-x.

Application of an economic calculator to determine the cost of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome at farm-level in 21 pig herds in Germany

C Renken  1 , C Nathues  2 , H Swam  3 , K Fiebig  4 , C Weiss  1 , M Eddicks  1 , M Ritzmann  1 , H Nathues  5
Affiliations

Application of an economic calculator to determine the cost of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome at farm-level in 21 pig herds in Germany

C Renken et al. Porcine Health Manag. .

Abstract

Background: Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) continues to be a major economic issue for the swine industry worldwide, not only due to acute outbreaks but also endemic infections. PRRS disease severity and consequently financial losses can vary greatly between endemically infected farms and estimation of damage is challenging. This study aimed to assess the economic effect of PRRS in a systematic way at individual farm-level for endemically infected herds, using a PRRS cost simulation tool. In total 21 German sow herds with endemic PRRSV infection were investigated. Data on health and production performance, farm management and environment to be fed into the calculator was collected on each farm, and blood samples taken to confirm the PRRSV status.

Results: All study farms experienced a significant loss attributable to PRRS. The median farm budget across all farms was - 31 € per sow and year, compared to a median simulated farm budget of 248 € if these farms had been PRRSV negative. The median total loss attributable to PRRS was 74,181 € per farm per year, corresponding to a median total loss per sow and year of 255 €. The impact of PRRS on farm profits was - 19.1% on average and - 41% in the worst case.

Conclusions: The calculated losses give a good hint of the economic damage due to PRRS for the pig industry. Even in endemically infected farms, farmers face a non-negligible damage and profit from a concerted PRRS control. The calculator has proven itself in the field to render a valid estimation of losses due to PRRS in endemically infected farms.

Keywords: Cost simulation tool; Economic loss; PPRSV endemic infection; PRRS control.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors confirm the absence of competing interests. HS conducted the laboratory analyses under blinded conditions and KF supported in the identification of herds matching inclusion criteria, in the communication of study aims and results as well as in the interpretation of economic farm data.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Laboratory results from PRRSV PCR and ELISA from 21 herds endemically infected with PRRSV. Legend: The boxes of the box-and-whisker plots indicate the interquartile range, the whiskers the 1.5-times interquartile range, and the single shapes below and above the outliers, separately for each age group
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Loss per sow per year attributable to PRRS in 21 herds endemically infected with PRRSV
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Detailed impact of PRRS on individual costs in 21 herds endemically infected with PRRSV. Legend: Negative bars indicate losses; positive bars indicate costs saved
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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