Category Archives: Animal Health

This year, USDA estimates there are 6 million feral swine in the US creating issues for traditional livestock production, natural resources, and other species. To address these ongoing issues, including domestic and foreign disease surveillance priorities of feral swine, USDA convened a technical working group consisting of swine industry representatives, state and federal animal health officials, university, and wildlife experts, including Dr. Paul Sundberg, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center. Dr. Harry Snelson, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, Dr. Dave Pyburn and Dr. Patrick Webb, National Pork Board, Dr. Liz Wagstrom, National Pork Producers Council and Bobby Acord, a consultant with the National Pork Producers Council, also participated. The published review and recommendations report was a collaborative effort between USDA and the other groups for the purpose of addressing the feral swine threat to domestic swine health.

The need to quickly identify, control, and eliminate a pathogen in an endemic, emerging, or transboundary production disease outbreak in the United States is crucial to protect the swine industry from suffering huge economic losses. In August 2016, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) funded development of the Rapid Response Program (RRP) to address this need, including recruitment and training of the Rapid Response Corps (RRC) who will respond in the event of an outbreak. This fall, SES, Incorporated will create and implement an exercise to provide refresher training for the RRC on the objectives, procedures, and implementation of the RRP. In addition, an ongoing project keeps the Program and Corps prepared by automating and streamlining the rapid response investigation process via a new web application for the form used by RRC members to conduct outbreak investigations. The web application will be tested in Vietnam, as part of another SHIC funded study to investigate African swine fever (ASF) virus on farms there. The intent is to use the experience in Vietnam to further develop and test the web-based version of the investigation form before it goes live in the United States.

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) September Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report is available. This month’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows a similar overall case positivity for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), and porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) cases in August compared to July. Detection for these agents was within expected parameters for this time of the year. Overall, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae is following an expected trend of increased detection. At the state level, detection of PRRSV was three standard deviations above expected in Missouri (MO). In the podcast, the SDRS hosts talk with Dr. Derald Holtkamp about strategies to keep disease activity low. They also discuss the economics of disease management and the value of year around biosecurity practices.

Monitoring for Enterobacteriaceae (EBAC) within feed mills is a demonstrated way to predict the risk of Salmonella spp. also being present. Viral pathogens in swine feed are a high interest health issue but there is little information available on how the presence of EBAC correlates with viral pathogen presence, especially on farms or in feed mills. The first step is to evaluate the efficacy of mill or farm level feed biosecurity. The purpose of a study conducted by Kansas State University and funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) was to identify EBAC presence in the feed manufacturing facilities and farms of a multi-farm system. That information was then used as a method of identifying feed-related and other biosecurity gaps in the feed mill and on the farm. Results showed compliance with biosecurity protocols had a substantial impact of EBAC prevalence and distribution throughout the feed mill. The results also emphasize the need for producers to evaluate feed ingredients as potential swine disease vectors, using resources provided by SHIC and industry partners to examine their suitability for use in rations.

For pigs left in the barn after a load-out event, viral contamination may be transferred from the contaminated livestock trailer, driver, or other carrying agents. Questions about how frequently this occurs, or alternative biosecurity measures to reduce frequency, remain. Consequently, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) funded a study conducted by personnel from Iowa State University to try to objectively assess these issues. The study evaluated if implementing a staged loading procedure for market pigs is effective at preventing transfer of swine pathogen contaminated particles from livestock trailers to the barn using fluorescent powder (Glo Germ) as a marking agent to be able to see traffic patterns. The study compared a conventional method of loading and a staged loading procedure. Four out of the five measuring points in the center alleyway of the barn had a level of contamination that measured significantly lower (p

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) August Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report is available. This month’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report shows a moderate decrease of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) cases in July compared to June, down substantially in wean-to-market category. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-positive cases were down moderately in July compared to June as well and within expected boundaries for this time of year. Detection of porcine delta coronoavirus (PDCoV) was also within the expected boundaries for this time of year. Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP)-positive cases in July were similar June and also within expected boundaries.

During 2020, cases of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) have been diagnosed in horses and some cattle in Arkansas, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Access current situation reports from USDA-APHIS at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/cattle-disease-information/vsv-reports.

An adult female feral pig from Central Oregon sampled for disease as part of a surveillance program tested positive for pseudorabies, a contagious disease that can harm livestock and also spread to some wildlife species. [Source: National Hog Farmer, Oregon Department of Agriculture, 13 July 2020]

Recent improvements have brought the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project (MSHMP) closer to real-time monitoring of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) sequence evolution and impact. Funded partially by the Swine Heath Information Center (SHIC), MSHMP has been adding capacity to capture diagnostic data from cooperating veterinary diagnostic labs (VDLs). The sequence acquisition process has been organized, and simplified, making sequence monitoring reality. Next, the real-time monitoring component will be developed. This data is being used to develop analytic methods for understanding PRRSV, giving producers the opportunity to respond to emerging, highly virulent strains.

The National Pork Board has added new and updated biosecurity resources for youth exhibitors to their website. New resources, including an updated biosecurity guide, posters and handouts, flyers, a complete toolkit, and video address biosecurity to promote both animal and human health. Resources are available for download at https://www.pork.org/blog/biosecurity-youth-exhibitors/.