Epidemiological, Economic, and Productive Resilience to PRRSV in "Next-Generation" Versus Conventional Intensive Pig Production: A Case Study.
- 1Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco, Italy.
- 2Struttura s.r.l., 25025 Manerbio, Italy.
- 3CP Consulting s.r.l., 25010 Brescia, Italy.
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains a constraint to the sustainability of pig production. This 32-month retrospective case study compared the epidemiological, productive, and economic resilience of two intensive farrowing units in Northern Italy, a conventional farm and a Next-Generation Farm (NGF), integrating advanced structural, technological, and management features. Epidemiological resilience was assessed using time-to-stability (TTS), while productive dynamics were monitored through statistical process control, including cumulative sum charts (CUSUMs), for six key performance indicators. Economic indicators were also collected. TTS was 49 weeks in the NGF versus 91 weeks in the conventional farm, prolonged by a second heterologous PRRSV strain. CUSUM monitoring identified early production deviations 9-21 weeks before virological detection, particularly in return-to-service and fertility rates. During TTS, instability in farrowing, return-to-service, and fertility rates were more persistent in the conventional farm (55.2%, 20.7%, and 17.2% out-of-control signals) than in the NGF (0%, 0%, and 6.7%). Post-outbreak, feed, medication, and labor costs per weaned piglet were lower in the NGF than the conventional unit, resulting in lower combined operating costs (€51.30 vs. €57.67/piglet, respectively). CUSUM may complement virological surveillance by providing early evidence of herd-level production deviations preceding PRRSV detection. Overall, the NGF suggested greater resilience through faster epidemiological recovery, greater reproductive stability, and lower operating costs, supporting the potential of NGF systems and a multidimensional approach to resilience and sustainability.
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BibTeX
@article{perrucci2026epidemiological,
title = {{Epidemiological, Economic, and Productive Resilience to PRRSV in "Next-Generation" Versus Conventional Intensive Pig Production: A Case Study.}},
author = {Alice Perrucci and Vanessa Cardana and Alberto Cavagnini and Paolo Capuzzi and Annalisa Scollo},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ani16193037},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883006},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Epidemiological, Economic, and Productive Resilience to PRRSV in "Next-Generation" Versus Conventional Intensive Pig Production: A Case Study.
AU - Alice Perrucci
AU - Vanessa Cardana
AU - Alberto Cavagnini
AU - Paolo Capuzzi
AU - Annalisa Scollo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/26
JO - Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
DO - 10.3390/ani16193037
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883006
AB - Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) remains a constraint to the sustainability of pig production. This 32-month retrospective case study compared the epidemiological, productive, and economic resilience of two intensive farrowing units in Northern Italy, a conventional farm and a Next-Generation Farm (NGF), integrating advanced structural, technological, and management features. Epidemiological resilience was assessed using time-to-stability (TTS), while productive dynamics were monitored through statistical process control, including cumulative sum charts (CUSUMs), for six key performance indicators. Economic indicators were also collected. TTS was 49 weeks in the NGF versus 91 weeks in the conventional farm, prolonged by a second heterologous PRRSV strain. CUSUM monitoring identified early production deviations 9-21 weeks before virological detection, particularly in return-to-service and fertility rates. During TTS, instability in farrowing, return-to-service, and fertility rates were more persistent in the conventional farm (55.2%, 20.7%, and 17.2% out-of-control signals) than in the NGF (0%, 0%, and 6.7%). Post-outbreak, feed, medication, and labor costs per weaned piglet were lower in the NGF than the conventional unit, resulting in lower combined operating costs (€51.30 vs. €57.67/piglet, respectively). CUSUM may complement virological surveillance by providing early evidence of herd-level production deviations preceding PRRSV detection. Overall, the NGF suggested greater resilience through faster epidemiological recovery, greater reproductive stability, and lower operating costs, supporting the potential of NGF systems and a multidimensional approach to resilience and sustainability.
SN - 2076-2615
ER -