Manure pumping and land application are operational necessities, but research confirms they represent one of the most critical disease transmission windows for swine herds. Pumping and application activities are significantly associated with an increased risk of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreaks, according to research led by Dr. Ana Paula Silva, a research scientist at Iowa State University.
Starting in 2022, Dr. Silva evaluated the link between manure handling events and herd disease outbreaks. Her findings demonstrate that the risk is not just theoretical—it is measurable, acute and highest within a five-week window following pumping and application.
The study revealed that manure pumping was associated with 3.38 times greater odds of PRRSV outbreaks within five weeks following a pumping event. While pumping alone does not cause an outbreak, it creates a convergence of biosecurity vulnerabilities, significantly increasing the opportunity for pathogen spread between sites.
“We saw that the odds of a PRRSV outbreak increase if the application field is within 1-3 miles of a pig site,” Silva explains. “We also found that risk increases when younger pigs are present in the barn. Nursery pigs were identified as the population at greatest risk following manure pumping events.”
How Can You Protect Your Pigs?
Dr. Brent Pepin, swine health director at the National Pork Board, outlines key strategies producers should implement to mitigate risk through scheduling, physical separation and rigorous sanitation:
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