Download Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus in pig meat - Import risk analysis (July 2006)

In September 2001 the sanitary measures were imposed on imported pig meat to manage the risk of introduction of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus. This followed the publication of a report demonstrating that PRRS virus could be present in meat of infected animals, and that transmission of the virus was possible by feeding such meat to susceptible pigs. In late 2001 a draft release assessment for PRRS in imported pig meat was completed and subjected to international technical review. In mid-2002 a Canadian study was initiated to test the conclusions reached in the previous study. The results from the two studies were published in 2003 and 2004 respectively, enabling the completion of this risk analysis. The conclusions of this analysis are as follows.
1. There is a low likelihood that chilled or frozen pig meat from a country with endemic PRRS will harbour the virus when imported into New Zealand.
2. Since cooking inactivates PRRS virus, and since pigs are the only species susceptible to this organism, effective exposure would require the feeding of uncooked pig meat to pigs in New Zealand. Although scraps may be generated from imported pig meat at several points during its preparation for human consumption, the feeding of raw meat to pigs is illegal under the 2005 garbage feeding regulations. It is concluded that an exposure pathway would exist only on pig farms that were not complying with the garbage feeding regulations.
3. If pig farms in this country did become infected with PRRS through the illegal feeding of uncooked imported pig meat, the likelihood of spread to other pig farms would be low as long as standard biosecurity practices were observed.
4. If PRRS virus were introduced into New Zealand, the consequences would be significant on affected farms, particularly in breeding units.

It is considered that the risk of PRRS in imported pig meat is non-negligible, and sanitary measures are recommended to manage the identified risk.

keywords: pork