Category Archives: Animal Health

The Iowa State University Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (ISU VDL) received 22 porcine fetuses from six litters originating in Mexico in the spring of 2020. After extensive testing for known pathogens, metagenomics sequencing identified a new virus in the genus of Morbillivirus. ISU VDL staff named it porcine morbillivirus (PoMV) and conducted an initial study providing some insight into the outbreak. Subsequently, these researchers sought funds to isolate PoMV and determine presence/incidence of the virus in the US swine population. The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) Monitoring and Analysis Working Group reviewed and approved the ISU VDL funding request for further study on PoMV as part of its ongoing mission to protect and enhance US swine herd health with a focus on emerging and transboundary swine disease prevention, preparedness, and response.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) 1-4-4 lineage 1c outbreaks in upper Midwest swine barns began in late 2020. To share information on this virulent strain impacting pork producers regionally, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), with co-sponsor American Association of Swine Veterinarians, offered a webinar on PRRSV 1-4-4 on February 4, 2021. SHIC also developed an episode of SHIC Talk, its podcast, posted on February 15, 2021, to share information on the PRRSv strain exhibiting dramatic clinical signs in all stages of production. In addition, completed SHIC projects focus on biosecurity that could help to prevent farm outbreaks.

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) June Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report is available. This month’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows that porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) continues to be very active, especially in wean to market age category. A second wave of detections for the PRRSV RFLP 1-4-4 L1C variant strain was detected. After a couple of months with a continued increase in detection of PDCoV, during May PDCoV detection has had a moderate decrease in the age categories adult/sow farm and wean to market. The advisory group has shared their practical points for preventing a new wave of pathogens activity for the upcoming fall and winter seasons in the report as well. In the podcast, the SDRS hosts talk with Dr. Paul Yeske about his experience on handling the PRRSV RFLP 1-4-4 L1C variant strain since its emergence and in the second wave and how to intervene to improve animal health.

Already this spring, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) has completed Emerging Disease Fact Sheet updates on getah virus, S. zooepidemicus, and Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:-. And more recently, three more updated fact sheets on Chikungunya virus, Menangle virus, and Porcine sapovirus have been posted as well. SHIC continually updates its Swine Disease Fact Sheet library so these expert-prepared documents are available to benefit producers, practitioners, and diagnosticians to assist when an emerging disease is found.

The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) 2021 Plan of Work includes the commitment to join with other organizations to help to fill gaps in research and information needed to prevent, prepare, and respond to foreign animal or emerging diseases. SHIC has focused on viral pathogens/diseases of swine because of the risk they present to the US swine herd by virtue of their ability to travel and transmit. SHIC also takes seriously the potential for bacteria, which can also be pathogens, to cause emerging disease. To provide needed information on bacteria, SHIC recently executed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Georgia Research Foundation to become a member of the Global Infectious Disease Intelligence Consortium and work with the Foundation’s Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases (CEID). The objective is to add another source of relevant information about existing and emerging infectious diseases. The result will be better intel on possible emerging bacteria to go along with the current information on potential emerging viruses.

Salmonella 1,4,[5],12:i:-, an emerging serotype in swine, has become one of the most identified serotypes in pigs, pork, and humans worldwide. It captured the attention of an American Association of Swine Veterinarians member who recommended the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) develop a fact sheet on this bacteria for the benefit of the US pork industry. As a result, the new S. 1,4,[5],12:i:- Fact Sheet has been posted and contains valuable information on the serotype. This project represents SHIC’s mission of responding to industry needs. You are welcome to send ideas, questions, and suggestions for SHIC by email shic@swinehealth.org or call 515-598-4553. As in this instance, SHIC will provide a timely response with good science to benefit the industry, maintaining a regularly updated Fact Sheet library.

A project to summarize current knowledge and remaining gaps regarding the molecular epidemiology of African swine fever (ASF) was funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC). The unprecedented expansion of ASF during the last five years produced a 218% increase in the volume of scientific publications on the subject compared to the previous five years (2010 to 2014). Due to this volume, a critical need to synthesize available scientific evidence to support and facilitate translation of the new evidence into updates for regulations and policy framework, and management recommendations for the industry, was apparent. Staff at the Center for Animal Health and Food Safety (CAHFS) at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine conducted a systematic review of current literature including, but not restricted to, genetic diversity of strains, the association between sequence data, and epidemiological or pathogenic features, and development and performance of molecular diagnostic tools.

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) April Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report is available. This month’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows that porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) detection was similar to February. A substantial decrease in PRRSV detection in wean-to-market animals was observed. Based on PRRSV detection, ORF-5 sequences, and disease diagnosis reports, and also based on input from the advisory group, the PRRSV 1-4-4 Lineage 1C variant (144 L1Cv) situation is not further spreading or becoming an epidemic. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. March 2021 had a record-high number of cases tested for porcine delta coronavirus (PDCoV) in the US. PDCoV detection was the highest since the PDCoV-epidemic year of 2014. On the other hand, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae reached the lowest level of detection for the year 2021. At the state level, PRRSV detection was three standard deviations above expected in Nebraska and Ohio. PDCoV was three standard deviations above expected in Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, and North Carolina. In a recorded interview, Drs. Trevisan, Magalhaes, and Linhares reflect on the main SDRS findings so far in 2021 and educate the users on how to use the newly launched disease diagnosis web-tool.

During 2019 outbreaks of S. zoo septicemia were reported in Ohio and Tennessee with mortality up to 50%. Then, in January 2021, a sow herd in Indiana experienced abnormally high mortalities related to S. zoo. The emergence of S. zoo associated with mortalities at a level not previously seen in the US prompted the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) to fund a project conducted at Iowa State University (ISU) and the National Veterinary Services Laboratory to meet the urgent need for information. The result was the first study to experimentally infect and reproduce the disease in weaned pigs with a hypervirulent swine S. zoo strain. Furthermore, pathogenicity differences between genetically different swine strains were described. And a newly developed multiplex PCR provides an accurate and timely assay for detecting and monitoring S. zoo in swine herds.

Transboundary diseases, including African swine fever (ASF), pose a significant threat to US pork producers. “We know early detection is the key to their control and elimination. But we also know that the approach that served the industry 30 years ago cannot keep pace with today’s big, fast industry, and the 5.2 million pigs that cross state lines each month,” remarked Dr. Jeffrey Zimmerman, Iowa State University. “We need a new surveillance plan – something effective, yet practical and affordable.” Dr. Zimmerman and colleagues at Iowa State University conducted research funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and the National Pork Board and found that “spatially balanced sampling” could achieve a higher probability of detection and at lower cost than previous methods.