Area Regional Control (ARC) began as a coordinated effort between producers and veterinarians to eliminate PRRS virus in discrete regions. While objectives have evolved to disease control rather than elimination, the ARC framework has proven successful by establishing communication, collaboration, and coordination among producers. This is evidenced by the expansion of ARC projects, inclusion of allied industry partners, application to other diseases like PEDv, and growth of informal producer information networks seeking to share updates on disease statuses and potential routes of spread.

1. The success of the
ARC concept
Erin Johnson, DVM
BIVI – Technical Manager

2. What is ARC?
Area Regional Control is:
Producers and veterinarians, working together with
their neighbors and business partners so that together
they achieve greater sustained improvement in
health and productivity in their neighborhood than any
one can achieve on their own.
“Do unto your neighbor
as you would have your neighbor do
unto you.”
“Transmit unto your neighbor as you
would have your neighbor transmit unto
you.”

3. ARC Origins
oThe global swine industry faces many economically
devastating diseases, e.g. PRRS costing the US swine
industry $1,500,000 USD per day (Yeske 2009).
oConsequently, veterinarians have developed different
means for individual or groups of farms to control and
possibly eliminate PRRS. However the risk of re-infection
remains high even with the best current biosecurity
practices (Davies et al. 2007).
oThis has led to the consensus that more coordinated,
or ‘regional’, approaches must be taken to combat
PRRS.

4.  Phase 1: Feasibility study: to determine if the region’s pork
industry meets the minimal requirements to work in a
coordinated disease control project.
 Phase 2: Pig-Related site identification: identify the general
characteristics of the pork industry in the region.
 Phase 3: Region characterization: determine site disease
status, animal flow, and risk of becoming infected.
 Phase 4: Design control strategies: design control
strategies by site and neighborhood.
 Phase 5: Execution and monitoring: execute and monitor
the disease control strategies by site and neighborhood.
ARC Proposed Methodology
Goals of the producers
in the region
Current Status and
Constraints in the region
Develop solution
options for the region
Implement and Monitor
Regional progress

5. oDirect Value
oImprovements in health, productivity and ROI
oIndirect Value
oReduction of infection risk
oReduction of genetic diversity
oGeneration of critical knowledge
oImprovement in on-farm morale
oImprovement of the image of the swine industry
0.1
MissouriSeq-4.seq
MissouriSeq-5.seqMissouriSeq-6.seq
143 NCIL Oct2010-1.seq
144 NCIL Nov.2010.seq
144 NCIL Dec10-1.seq
MissouriSeq-1.seq
MissouriSeq-2.seq
MissouriSeq-3.seq
MissouriSeq-7.seq
114388-35PA-1.seq
114388-36PA-1.seq
IA Aug C-1.seqIA Aug A-1.seqIA Aug B-1.seq
MissouriSeq-9.seq
MissouriSeq-8.seq
ARC Benefits
(Garbes, N. et al. 2011)

6. An Illustration…

7. An Illustration…

8. An Illustration…
OR

9. An Illustration…
Context Matters…
Context is also a benefit of ARC

10. There is:
no recipe,
no specific template or manual,
no perfected way to do ARC.
Every project is different and has
approached coordinated disease control
in their own way.

11. Key ARC Project Success Factors
 Great coordination
- Project coordinator, leaders, technical advisors
 High producer participation
- Typically >75% of area producers
 High degree of transparency and trust
- PRRSv status, Management practices, pig flows, etc.
 At least partially, if not completely producer funded
- Producers have “skin in the game”

12. Measures of ARC Project Success
 Reduction in the number of sites (usually breeding herds) going
positive in a project from year to year.
 Improved PSY – in projects able to capture that information for
area sow herds.
 % participation or cooperation and continued participation in an
area.
 Lists of “without the project _____ would never have happened”.
- Often trading barns for a turn
- Encouraging new barns to go with local or closer sow owners
- Participation in the project by allied industry partners
(As summarized from NA-PRRS 2013 “4 corners
session” ARC Project handouts)

14. Producers know that it is not just the pig sites…
 Collaborative efforts in many areas have included allied
industry
- Like:
- Transportation companies, manure haulers, area genetic suppliers, etc.
- They may:
- Attend educational and or working group meetings
- Receive alerts and updates about the area
- Participate in discussions about preventing spread
- Further define their biosecurity practices
Evidence of success of the ARC concept…

15. Evidence of success of the ARC concept…
 The framework of ARC projects:
- Coordinator
- Communication plans
- Educational meetings/information sharing
- Site status notifications/classifications
- Shared trust
Has been applied
to PEDv in many
ARC projects.

16. Evidence of success of the ARC concept…
 Even without all of the framework of ARC…
- Producer networks are forming to simply share information
- Networks:
- Producer to producer
- Production system to Production system
- Larger state-wide - producer group led
- Information:
- Site statuses
- Sequence information (PRRS, PED, IAV…)
- Potential routes of spread
- Potential mitigation strategies
Why?

17. The evolution of ARC…
 What do these networks hope to accomplish?
- There are no goals or objectives to control or eliminate a disease.
- There are no mandatory practices that participants are asked to
follow.
 What are they seeking?
Context

18. Summary
 Area Regional Control:
- Began in a few discrete areas, in an effort to eliminate PRRSv
- Objectives have evolved to control, rather than eliminate PRRSv in
many of those areas, and expanded to others
- Simple structures have been put in place to allow for Communication,
Collaboration and Coordination among producers with the support
and guidance of their veterinarians.
- The success of the ARC concept is evidenced by:
- The continued expansion of projects
- The inclusion/participation of allied industry in areas
- The further leveraging of the framework to PEDv, and beyond…
- The continued development of information sharing networks in the industry

19. The success of the
ARC concept
Erin Johnson, DVM
BIVI – Technical Manager