Cut fall PRRS risk with these Wean-to-Harvest findings

Oct 06, 2025

The Swine Health Information Center, along with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, launched the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program in the fall of 2022. Goals of the research program were to investigate cost-effective, innovative technologies, protocols and ideas to enhance biosecurity implementation during the wean-to-harvest phases of swine production. Results received to date provide opportunities for U.S. pork producers to understand potential risks, identify steps to prevent porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome transmission, and make changes to immediately enhance their herd biosecurity as the fall respiratory disease season approaches.

At wean-to-harvest sites, biosecurity practices remain inconsistent and less rigorously enforced than at sow or boar stud sites, increasing the risk for disease introduction and transmission. The Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program addresses several key biosecurity areas, including bioexclusion (keeping disease off the farm), biocontainment (keeping disease on the farm after an outbreak to lessen risk to neighbors), and transportation biosecurity. A total of 24 projects have been funded through this program to provide a comprehensive approach to advancing biosecurity of U.S. farms. The Wean-to-Harvest Research Program reflects SHIC’s responsiveness to an identified swine health vulnerability and its collaborative efforts to leverage producer Checkoff dollars to safeguard the health of the U.S. swine herd.

Projects focusing on disease introduction risks, using PRRSV as one of the targeted pathogens at wean-to-harvest sites, have identified key knowledge and tools that producers and veterinarians can apply at the farm today to combat PRRS transmission and introduction into the herd. Outcomes relevant for fall biosecurity are summarized here from two projects, including an industry-wide assessment of bioexclusion practices led by Gustavo Silva and an assessment of manure pumping effects on disease onset led by Daniel Linhares, both at Iowa State University.

Investigations of factors influencing the risks of disease introduction and transmission at wean-to-harvest sites and during transportation have provided key takeaways informing biosecurity enhancement for PRRS management and control:

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Border View Farms is a mid-sized family farm that sits on the Ohio-Michigan border. My name is Nathan. I make and edit all of the videos posted here. I farm with my dad, Mark and uncle, Phil. Our part-time employee, Brock, also helps with the filming. 1980 was our first year in Waldron where our main farm is now. Since then we have grown the operation from just a couple hundred acres to over 3,000. Watch my 500th video for a history of our farm I filmed with my dad.

I started making these videos in the fall of 2019 as a way to help show what I do on a daily basis as a farmer. Agriculture is different from any other industry and I believe the more people that are showing their small piece of agriculture, helps to build our story. We face unique challenges and stressful situations but have some of the most rewarding payoffs in the end. I get to spend everyday doing what I love, raising my kids on the farm, and trying to push our farm to be better every year. I hope that I can address questions or concerns that you might have about farms and agriculture.