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SHIC 2019 Plan of Work Emphasizes Actionable Steps to Protect US Herd

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) 2019 Plan of Work and budget were approved by the Board of Directors on January 25, 2019. “When SHIC was formed, the goal was to develop an entity that helped protect the US pork industry by working in concert with the National Pork Board, National Pork Producers Council, and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians. I am extremely proud that we have not only reached our goals, I believe we have exceeded our goals,” remarked SHIC Board President Dr. Daryl Olsen. Those objectives are captured in the organization’s mission statement: the mission of the Swine Health Information Center is to protect and enhance the health of the United States swine herd through coordinated global disease monitoring, targeted research investments that minimize the impact of future disease threats, and analysis of swine health data.

ASF Continues Spread in China and FMD on the Move in South Africa

In the mid-January 2019 Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report from the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), we learn African swine fever (ASF) continues to spread in China, including the first outbreaks in Gansu and Ningxia provinces. Additionally, there have been multiple detections of ASF in pork products stopped and confiscated at airports in Australia. Included in this article is a statement from USDA with their perspective about doing this kind of testing in US airports. And there has been a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in South Africa’s FMD-free zone. Details on these topics and other news are included in the full report.

SHIC Sponsored Research Looks for Cost-effective Ways to Mitigate Potential Risks from Feed Transmission

Proactive mitigation of high-risk pathogens in feed with feed additives could be a way for us to protect North American herds from porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS), as well as foreign animal disease. The Swine Health Information Center sponsored research to investigate feed additives with potential to function as cost-effective mitigants. Action based on scientific knowledge is within closer reach, thanks to Drs. Diego G. Diel of South Dakota State University and Scott Dee of Pipestone Applied Research. In their study, a select group of additives, though none completely inactivating viruses, did show promising efficacy against high-risk pathogens potentially in feed. Investigators envisioned and investigated potential mitigation periods prior to embarking to the US or upon arrival at the mill and worked with AFIA to select candidate mitigants.

ASF Continues to Expand in China and CSF in Japan

In the Swine Health Information Center’s January Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report, it is stated Heilongjiang province reported the largest infected farm since the start of the African swine fever (ASF) epidemic in China last August. A carcass positive for ASF was found on Taiwan’s shore. An ASF outbreak outside the control zone in Belgium was reported, close to the border of France. Additionally, the largest outbreak of CSF in a Japanese farm since its recurrence in last September was reported. Read the entire report, including actions by Chinese and Taiwanese governments related to the disease epidemics, here.

SHIC 2018 Progress Report Details Results on Behalf of US Swine Industry

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC’s) efforts relating to monitoring, analysis, preparedness, and response to emerging diseases, domestic and foreign, are more essential than ever. The organization’s key priorities remain protecting and enhancing the health of the US swine herd. At the same time, the question is being asked, “What if an emerging disease from outside the US hits the US?” as producers observe what’s happening overseas. In SHIC’s 2018 Progress Report, delivered to the National Pork Board and approved on January 8, 2018, the organization’s efforts on behalf of the US pork industry, including working with the other industry’s organizations on African swine fever prevention, were detailed. An executive summary of the report is available here.

SHIC-funded Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report for January

The Swine Health Information Center’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report this week shows expected activity in December. Data for the report is collected from the Veterinary Diagnostic Labs at Iowa State, South Dakota State, and Kansas State Universities as well as the University of Minnesota. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome detection decreased in December after two months of increase and remained in the predicted range the last three weeks of 2018. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus detection by PCR also continues to meet expected values which means an increase in activity for the same time frame based on previous years’ reports. Streptoccocus suis remains the major agent causing CNS. For the beginning of 2019 winter, porcine circovirus had a greater percentage of detection, but similar number of cases, when compared with full winter season of previous years. Read details on these findings as well as the entire report by clicking here.

SHIC Mid-Month Global Disease Report Captures International ASF Lessons Learned

In the December mid-month Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report from the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), a collection of observations and lessons learned from African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks in China and Europe are shared. In addition, recommendations for US producers to follow to continue to prevent the entry of the virus in this country are detailed. ASF continues to spread in China with Qinghai province reporting their first cases of the virus. It appears the spread in Romania and Poland has slowed. Earlier this month, both China’s General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as well as the Global ASF Research Alliance released analyses and reports on the issues surrounding the spread of the virus. The mid-month report includes a summary of each.

SHIC Notes New Outbreak of SVA in Brazil

In August 2015, a new, national outbreak of Seneca Valley A (SVA) began in the US, just one month after the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) started operations. Looking back, we discovered Brazil had gone through an SVA outbreak during the late fall and winter of 2014-15 in the US, during their summer season, preceding the US occurrence. Thank you to Dr. Daniel Linhares of Iowa State University for notifying SHIC of this new SVA outbreak in Brazil and to Dr. Gustavo Simao, Agroceres PIC in Brazil, for offering this on-the-ground update of the current situation.

SHIC-Funded Project Uncovers Breeding Herd Vulnerabilities to PRRS for Improved Biosecurity

How vulnerable are your herds to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS)? Want to know where to focus biosecurity? Gustavo Silva at Iowa State University, and his team, have devised a way to give farms a Biosecurity Vulnerability Score (BVS) based on surveys from Iowa State University’s PRRS Outbreak Investigation Program and data from the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project. This Swine Health Information Center-funded research shows that farms with higher BVS scores have broken more frequently with PRRS, adding validity to the scoring system.

SHIC Sponsors Research to Examine PCV3 Relationships to Learn More About Epidemiology

Does porcine circovirus Type 3 (PCV3) cause disease or is it just there? It feels counterintuitive to be talking about a type of circovirus and whether it really causes disease or not, but ultimately that is the question. PCV3 can, and has been, found in multiple tissues, samples and clinical signs. It is also found in healthy pigs. Thus, we have a question. Can it cause pathological lesions? Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has sponsored research by Alberto Rovira, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota, to take a deep dive into past University of Minnesota Diagnostic Lab submissions. The goal is to mine diagnostics data obtained over the last two years and determine how closely certain clinical signs and pathologic lesions are associated with the presence of PCV3 alongside the viral load.