The National Pork Board (NPB) recently facilitated meetings to evaluate the need for recommendations to minimize the chance of spreading influenza during the 2009 swine exhibition and show season.
The Show Pig Working Group, composed of a broad group of industry stakeholders including the AASV, the National Association of Swine Records (NSR, CPS, and ABA), swine extension specialists, pork producers and the National Pork Producers Council, met to develop recommendations to promote enhanced disease monitoring and control efforts during these events particularly focusing on the influenza A H1N1-2009 outbreak.
The group received input on a draft of risk management options from representatives of the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Department of Agriculture, several State Veterinarians, influenza researchers, state swine extension specialists and the Pork Checkoff’s Animal Science, Swine Health and Public Health/Producer Safety Committees.
Following extensive discussion and deliberation including collaboration with public health and animal health experts, the group has issued the recommendations to manage influenza risk at swine exhibitions during the 2009 show season. The group has also approached the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians and several State Veterinarians to help develop a plan to identify and respond to influenza-like illness in pigs and/or exhibitors at swine exhibitions.
The recommendations emphasize practicing good biosecurity measures to minimize the chance of tracking diseases back to the farm or exposing the public to potential zoonotic diseases. The suggested measures include encouraging terminal shows, increased awareness of animals exhibiting clinical signs of disease, isolation of animals returning to the farm following the show, discouraging public contact with the animals, increased sanitation (such as hand washing stations) and public education.
The recommendations are available online at http://www.aasv.org/documents/SwineExhibitRecommendations.doc.