Farmscape for March 20, 2026

The Swine Health Information Center reports the number cases of PRRS increased in some age categories over the past month and decreased in others while the number of PED cases increased.
As part of its March eNewsletter the Swine Health Information Center has released its monthly domestic and global swine disease surveillance reports.
SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says we saw increased PED activity and increased PRRS activity in some age categories.

Quote-Dr. Lisa Becton-Swine Health Information Center:
After PRRS reached peak levels in the wean to market category since October of 2025, now we are seeing a third month with decreased detection in that age category.
However, sow farm diagnosis and case positivity have increased for the fifth consecutive month.
We do normally see decreases in PRRS case positivity with the onset of warmer weather for spring and summer.
However, the decrease in grow finish could also be reflected by different sow statuses, if they're sending negative pigs to market indicating less area pressure or regional pressure for PRRS detection.
However, in the sow farms this can also be due to areas that may have increased case diagnosis or activity also noting that there have been some newer viruses introduced into North Carolina where animals may be relatively naive to these different strains.
For PED, case positivity continues to increases and is greater than expected for the different age categories, including adults, sows and wean to market animals.

Dr. Becton says regardless of time of year it is important to focus on steps to reduce viral presence and transmission and to continually to evaluate both site biosecurity and transportation and sanitation.
She says it's also important to extend assessment of biosecurity to dead management facilities because animals that have passed on can have a large amount of virus present.
The domestic and global swine disease surveillance reports can be accessed at swinehealth.org.
For more visit Farmscape.Ca.
Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is produced on behalf of North America’s pork producers