Spatiotemporal relative risk distribution of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus in the southeastern United States

TL;DR

This study maps the spatiotemporal distribution of PRRSV in southeastern US farms, identifying key risk factors and spatial distances relevant for targeted biosecurity and control measures.

Contribution

It introduces a combined spatial, spatiotemporal, and Bayesian modeling approach to quantify PRRSV risk and assess environmental and operational factors influencing outbreaks.

Findings

Maximum transmission distance around 15-18 km.

Sow farms are consistently high risk.

Environmental factors like temperature and farm practices influence outbreaks.

Abstract

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains widely distributed across the U.S. swine industry. Between-farm movement of animals and transportation vehicles, along with local transmission are the primary routes by which PRRSV is spread. Given the farm-to-farm proximity in high pig production areas, local transmission is an important pathway in the spread of PRRSV; however, there is limited understanding of the role local transmission plays in the dissemination of PRRSV, specifically, the distance at which there is increased risk for transmission from infected to susceptible farms. We used a spatial and spatiotemporal kernel density approach to estimate PRRSV relative risk and utilized a Bayesian spatiotemporal hierarchical model to assess the effects of environmental variables, between-farm movement data, and on-farm biosecurity features on PRRSV outbreaks. The maximum spatial distance calculated through the kernel density approach was 15.3 km in 2018, 17.6 km in 2019, and 18 km in 2020. Spatiotemporal analysis revealed greater variability throughout the study period, with significant differences between the different farm types. Sow farms were consistently categorized as high risk farm types, while downstream farms (i.e., finisher and nursery farms) had more susceptible farms within areas of significant-high relative risk. Factors associated with PRRSV outbreaks were farms with higher number of access points to barns, higher numbers of outgoing movements of pigs, and higher number of days where temperatures were between 4{\deg}C and 10{\deg}C. Results obtained from this study may be used to guide the reinforcement of biosecurity and surveillance strategies at farms and areas within the distance threshold of PRRSV positive farms.