University of Minnesota – A study on the evaluation of an alternative method for improving transport biosecurity.

Swine Vet Center – A study on the effects of MLV vaccine given by exposure to vaccine-saturated ropes.

Pipestone Veterinary Clinic – A study on the re-evaluation of manure slurry as a risk factor for PRRS virus survival and spread between farms.

University of Minnesota – A study to compare whole-herd exposure programs as an aid in eliminating PRRS virus from sow herds.

Swine Vet Center – A study to evaluate airborne shedding of PRRS virus in pigs following vaccination with Ingelvac® PRRS ATP in commercial production systems.

Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minnesota – A study on the effects of modified-live PRRS vaccine alone or in conjunction with killed-virus vaccines on late-term pregnant gilts.

Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minn. – Does finishing barn ventilation type (curtain sided vs. tunnel) result in a greater risk factor for naïve herds to break with PRRS virus in the finishing phase?

Iowa State University, Ames – research award to develop an inexpensive and convenient method for PRRS virus monitoring; to evaluate the stability of PRRS virus; and to develop guidelines for handling and diagnostic monitoring of oral fluid samples.

Iowa State University, Ames – research award to conduct a cross-sectional study of PRRS-positive swine breeding herd sites to evaluate the association between risk factors and a case definition based on number and severity of clinical PRRS episodes.

Iowa State University, Ames – research award to evaluate the performance of several different diagnostic tests in detecting PRRSV in “meat juice” samples and determine if PCR-positive meat samples in convalescent animals contain infectious virus levels sufficient to infect other pigs that consume virus-contaminated pork. The results of the study will determine which tests are most accurate in diagnosing PRRSV in meat juice, which will be useful in surveillance and eradication programs, as well as analysis of pork from PRRSV-infected countries.

University of Minnesota, St. Paul – research award to study the sensitivity of PRRSV PCR for pooled serum and blood swab samples of boars during acute infection, which will be used to model and evaluate protocols for negative boar studs. The benefit of this study is to determine whether pooling is a valuable tool in monitoring protocols for PRRS-negative boars.

North Carolina State University-Raleigh, North Carolina – The Role of Stomoxys Calcitran (Stable Fly) in Transmission of PRRS from Recently Infected Pigs to Naive Pigs in a Controlled Model. Dr. Baker’s research contributed to a change in the swine industry to using insect netting on boar studs and multiplication farms.

Swine Disease Eradication Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul – An Evaluation of a Filtration System for the Prevention of PRRSV Transmission by Aerosols. The current study is observing shedding and PRRS virus concentration in aerosols to help calculate PRRS virus concentration and shedding patterns in individual pig aerosols.

Pipestone Veterinary Clinic, Pipestone, Minnesota – Production of Neutralizing Antibody Against PRRSV and Effect on Rate and Duration of Piglet Infection.

Swine Disease Eradication Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul – An Evaluation of Protocols to Sanitize PRRSV Contaminated Commercial Swine Transport Vehicles in the Absence of Drying. Dr. Dee’s PRRS research will impact swine industry trailer inspections, trailer sanitation and trailer drying.

Swine Vet Center, St. Peter, Minnesota – Timeline for Detection of PRRS in Semen by PCR Testing and Sensitivity of Pooling Samples. Dr. Reicks’ research on boar stud monitoring by PRRS PCR test compared semen, blood and rectal swabs and also tested the ability to pool samples to help understand timeline and differences during early detection, but first of all to stay negative against porcine reproductive and respiratory virus.

University of Minnesota, St. Paul – Assessing the Risk of PRRSV Transmission by Transport Vehicles. Dr. Dee’s research will help determine the concentration of PRRSV within a trailer interior that is required to infect susceptible pigs and evaluate transport vehicle sanitation procedures to prevent the transmission of PRRSV to susceptible pigs.

University of Minnesota, St. Paul – Controlling PRRS: The Use of GIS to Determine Area-based Prevalence and the Association between Proximity of Non-linked Herds and Percent Homology in Pig Farms. Dr. Morrison’s research has led to increased information on regional PRRS and laid the groundwork for regional eradication.