Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced that effective March 1, swine entering Wisconsin must be accompanied by an import permit. To successfully acquire this permit, a veterinarian must disclose the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) status of the herd of origin, if known, with a statement on the certificate of veterinary inspection (CVI).

“The value of the genetics of hog breeders in Wisconsin requires that we protect the industry from this devastating disease,” said Secretary Ben Brancel. “The first step toward providing this protection is having knowledge of the status of PRRS in the pigs entering the state.”

PRRS is a virus that causes reproductive failure in breeding stock and respiratory illness in young pigs. Subclinical infections are common. First reported in North America in 1987, it is estimated that the disease costs the United States swine industry over $600 million annually.