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Discovery could help rid pig herd of costly disease
Story Date: 3/7/2012
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Source: Michael Fielding, MEATINGPLACE, 3/6/12
Scientists have found a genetic marker in pigs that identifies susceptibility to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, a disease that costs the U.S. pork industry an estimated $664 million per year.
The genetic marker on swine chromosome 4 is associated with whether the pig has a reduced susceptibility to infection with the PRRS virus and is also linked to improved growth, according to a statement from the Pork Checkoff, which funded initial research that led to the discovery.
Finding the marker gene responsible for increasing resistance to PRRS will allow genetics companies to focus on PRRS resistance and could lead to producers introducing new PRRS-resistant lines into their herds, said Chris Hostetler, director of animal science for the Pork Checkoff.
The researchers, from USDA, Kansas State University and Iowa State University, used blood and tissue samples and weight-gain data from 2,000 pigs at bio-0secure facilities at Kansas State.
The researchers continue to be funded by the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium, which has been supported by the National Pork Board, the Coordinated Agricultural Project program, National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Swine Genome Coordinator for the National Animal Genome Research Program.
For more on the research, click here.
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