This year’s European PRRS Research Award was awarded to Karen Koenders of the veterinary practice Lintjeshof and Eric van Esch of Merefelt Livestock Diagnostics. Boehringer Ingelheim awarded them an award for the traffic light system they developed to tackle PRRS.
The system developed by Koenders and Van Esch is based on all the knowledge collected in recent years using the PRRS approach on Dutch pig farms. This is related to the Holtkamp System developed by the Holtkamp veterinarian in the United States.
position map
“The Holtkamp system assumes that the company must eventually become PRRS-free,” says Konders. At the moment this is just a step too far in the Netherlands and Northwest Europe. With our PRRS scan, a modified Holtkamp system, we first want to control the PRRS well on the farm.
With the system, the entire pig farm is thoroughly inspected and the external and internal biological safety components are rated via the traffic light system, with green of course for good, orange for better and red for not. Traffic light system is also used for PRRS monitoring of pigs and pigs.
approach plan
Of course it doesn’t stop there. Koenders: On the basis of this, we develop a target business plan for each company, so that the company’s PRRS status becomes green. This means that we have PRRS under very good control, but we will continue to vaccinate for safety. ‘With the amount of money associated with this award, 10 pig farmers will be able to complete the PRRS survey next year and improve their PRRS status.
Three European PRRS Research Awards are presented annually by Boehringer Ingelheim with the aim of stimulating the scientific development of PRRS control. The award also increases academic interaction and exchange between pig researchers and veterinarians. The winners were selected by an independent jury of experts.
