Category Archives: Animal Health

Efforts inform preparedness and response planning for pork producers and veterinarians

The Swine Health Information Center’s Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, funded in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, has recently funded two new projects to advance biosecurity of US swine farms. The newly funded projects include: 1) an investigation of alternative methods for transport sanitation led by Dr. Erin Kettelkamp at the Swine Vet Center and 2) an assessment of the cost of disease in grow-finish production sites led by Dr. Karyn Havas at Pipestone Research. These awards bring the total number of projects to 18 that have been funded by the program for a comprehensive approach to enhancing biosecurity across the wean-to-harvest phases of swine production.

The latest episode of SHIC Talk, available now, addresses influenza A, particularly the H5N1 strain, and the swine industry’s prevention and preparedness efforts. Host Barb Determan is joined by SHIC Executive Director Dr. Megan Niederwerder, AASV Public Health and Communications Director Dr. Abbey Canon, NPB Director of Swine Health Dr. Marisa Rotolo, and NPPC Director of Swine Health Dr. Anna Forseth for a lively and informative discussion.

The Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) July Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report is available.

Meet Lindsey Huntress Britton, our latest addition to Farm Journal’s PORK’s Up & Coming Leaders feature. We are showcasing some of the fresh, new voices of the pork industry who combine innovative thought and work ethic with scientific savvy and a passion to make a difference.

A pilot project funded by the Swine Health Information Center Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff, aimed to address the challenge of documenting truck washes between visits to slaughterhouses and return to swine barns, a critical aspect of market haul sanitation in the swine industry. Led by Drs. Daniel Linhares and Edison Magalhães of Iowa State University, the study updated the online inventory of truck washes in the Midwest and assessed three different methods for automatically recording truck wash events and market pig deliveries at packing plants. To enable producers to verify trailer cleanliness, automated reports were produced on the status of each trailer to identify non-compliance, such as those trailers not washed between packing plant loads.

‘Tis the season for corndogs, concerts, and commingling. Fair season gives us an opportunity to remind exhibitors and event organizers of ways to keep animals and people healthy.

A study funded through the Swine Health Information Center Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, in partnership with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Pork Checkoff, recently evaluated caretaker motivation related to compliance with biosecurity behaviors Led by Dr. Michael Chetta of Talent Metrics Consulting, an exploratory study was conducted to establish a baseline for worker motivation and identify the primary factors within the industry that could be impacting biosecurity compliance.

Free, comprehensive resource offers step-by-step guidance for M. hyopneumoniae eradication

Although influenza and E.coli have been a hot topic of conversation in many circles lately, these four veterinarians agree that porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) continues to cause the greatest problems for pork producers in their area. They discuss a variety of topics from the biggest surprises from a health perspective in 2024 to what producers should do to keep disease pressure down this year.