• Be broken down into separate production categories that need to be managed.
• Be approved by the Department.
The Department will provide sample herd plans to assist veterinarians in herd plan development.
PRRS and PEDv Testing
Tests to determine whether PRRS or PEDv is in the herd of origin must be approved by the Department and provide 90% confidence that the disease would be identified if present at 30% prevalence in the herd. This means for herds with less than 30 swine, one pooled sample of at least five swine, or swine available if less than five, must be collected and tested. For herds with 30 or more swine, three pooled samples of at least five swine must be collected and tested.
Small Businesses Affected
This rule will have a generally positive impact on business and will save Wisconsin swine producers from the devastating effects of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv).
There will be some costs to producers to test their herds for these diseases, but such costs will be minimal compared to the substantial economic burden of these highly infectious diseases to Wisconsin’s $136 million swine industry.
This rule will affect swine producers and veterinarians in Wisconsin as follows:
The majority of the costs associated with this proposed rule will be the testing of swine for PRRS and PEDv prior to movement. If the producer moves swine on a regular basis, at most, such testing would be done on a quarterly basis (testing must be done within 90 days before movement). The movement of and number of swine in the herd will be the greatest factors in determining cost.
The number of swine to be sampled to provide 90% confidence that the disease would be identified if present at 30% prevalence in a herd is as follows:
• For herds with less than 30 swine−1 pooled sample of 5 swine.
• For herds with 30 or more swine−3 pooled samples of at least 5 swine.
Testing can be done by hanging a cotton rope (from a rope test kit) in a group of pigs to collect saliva, and does not require an on-farm visit from the veterinarian. The samples can be collected by the farm owner under the direction of a veterinarian, but must be submitted through an accredited veterinarian to a diagnostics lab. If using a rope test kit, up to 30 swine can be tested at one time. A single rope test kit costs $5.25. The rope test kit can be used to sample the swine for both PRRS and PED. For herds with less than 30 swine, only 1 rope test kit is needed to collect samples for the herd. For herds with 30 or more swine, 3 rope test kits with samples from 3 groups of at least 5 swine per group must be collected.
The samples may be submitted to Iowa State University or the University of Minnesota for testing. The submission fee for either university is $10, regardless of the number of samples submitted.
Iowa State University charges $25 for the PRRSv using the PCR test and $25 for the PEDv using the PCR test. University of Minnesota charges $30.80 for the PRRSv using the PCR test and $33 for the PEDv using the PCR test. This fee includes a 10% out-of-state surcharge.
In addition, the veterinary clinic that submits the samples typically charges a shipping and handling fee. Based on samples submitted during last summer’s fairs, shipping and handling fees ranged from $7 and $13.50.
Minimum costs to test a small herd for PRRSv and PEDv would be $72.25 and a large herd would be $182.75.
The proposed rule allows a producer to collect samples under the direction of a veterinarian. Additional costs may be incurred if the producer chooses to have a veterinarian collect the samples. These costs are indeterminate.
The entities that may be affected by this rule modification include veterinarians and swine producers. To assist veterinarians in this process, sample herd plans will be provided.
Reporting, Bookkeeping and other Procedures
This rule establishes testing requirements for commercial swine imported into or moving within Wisconsin in order to control the spread of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDv).
The paperwork associated with this proposed rule includes maintaining the test results of swine tested for PRRS and PEDv. Testing must be done within 90 days before movement and these test results must be maintained as proof of compliance during movement.
Any positive testing results for PRRS or PEDv must be reported to the Department and swine owner.
For imported swine, statements from veterinarians must also be maintained as proof of compliance during movement.
If certain disease testing requirements are not met and/or veterinarian statements are not included when swine are moved:
A person importing swine to Wisconsin must get an import permit from the Department.
The Department will quarantine a swine herd. To release the quarantine, the owner will be required to have a veterinarian develop a herd plan. Certain information must be included in the herd plan and the Department will provide sample herd plans to assist veterinarians in herd plan development. Professional Skills Required
The proposed rule does not specify professional skills required for small businesses.
Accommodation for Small Business
Many of the businesses affected by this rule are “small businesses.” For the most part, this rule does not make special exceptions for small business, because disease does not differentiate or respect business size.
There will be some costs to producers to test their herds for these diseases, but such costs will be minimal compared to the substantial economic burden of these highly infectious diseases to Wisconsin’s $136 million swine industry.
Conclusion
This rule will generally benefit affected businesses, including “small businesses.” Negative effects, if any, will be few and limited. This rule will not have a significant adverse effect on “small business,” and is not subject to the delayed “small business” effective date provided in s. 227.22(2) (e), Stats.
