Research Funded by the AASV Foundation

University of Minnesota researcher Dr. Cesar Corzo and coinvestigators, including graduate student Marcello Melini, were awarded $29,827 to fund the proposal, “Advancing biocontainment strategies through advanced viability qPCR for PRRSV environmental contamination assessment.” The project will focus on understanding whether environmentally detected PRRSV in pig barns remains viable. In addition, investigators plan to assess whether frequently touched surfaces by personnel contain viable virus particles which can represent a risk for dissemination to other farms.

The foundation granted $22,442.50 to Dr. Daniel Linhares and Dr. Daniel Moraes and coinvestigators from Iowa State University to fund the proposal, “Assessing the effect of pooling commonly used samples on the probability of influenza A virus sequencing and virus isolation.” The objective of the project is to compare the success of sequencing and virus isolation by using different cycle threshold levels from pooled sample types for influenza A virus in swine. Interim Report.

Dr. Ana Paula Poeta Silva and coinvestigators from Iowa State University received $30,000 to fund the proposal, “Improving extraction and PCR protocols to enhance Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP) DNA detection in oral fluid samples in field conditions.” The goal of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of six MHP detection protocols for MHP DNA detection in field oral fluid samples. A interim report was submitted to the Foundation Board in October 2024 and is currently withheld pending final report.

The foundation partially funded Dr. Giovani Trevisan and Iowa State University coinvestigators’ proposal, “Further characterization of PRRSV diversity and other pathogens in live virus inoculation (LVI) material used in breeding herd stabilization programs,” at $18,000. The study aims to characterize the genetic diversity of PRRSV and the potential presence of other pathogens of interest in LVI samples used in swine production.

University of Minnesota researcher Dr. Kimberly VanderWaal and coinvestigators were awarded $29,997 to fund the proposal, “Fine-scale classification of PRRSV-2: Moving past RFLPs to improve sequence interpretation for disease control and management.” The 2 objectives of the study are to evaluate and compare potential alternative systems for classifying and naming porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus-2 (PRRSV-2) variants and to develop procedures for prospective implementation and expansion that would meet the needs of diagnostic laboratories and practitioners. Final report.

The foundation granted $22,440 to Dr. Daniel Linhares and coinvestigators from Iowa State University to fund the proposal, “Probability of Influenza A virus RNA detection at different pooling levels for commonly used sample types in breeding herds.” The objective of the project is to compare the probability of influenza A virus RNA detection at different levels of pooling for different sample types. Study results were presented in the Research Topics session at the 2024 AASV Annual Meeting: Probability of influenza A virus RNA detection at different pooling levels for commonly used sample types in breeding herds. The article was also published in National Hog Farmer. Final report.

Dr. Linhares and coinvestigators also received $24,855 to fund the proposal, “Comparison of a novel rapid tonsil sampling method to serum, oral fluid, and tonsil scraping to detect PRRSV in sows.” The objective of this study is to compare the new tonsil-oral sample type with serum, oral fluids, and tonsil scraping in terms of probability of PRRSV detection and cycle threshold values with sows at different time points post whole-herd exposure. Final report.

The foundation partially funded Dr. Linhares’s proposal, “Assessing the performance of tongue tips as an additional tool to monitor PRRSV in breeding herds undergoing virus elimination,” at $22,708. The objective is to determine the dynamic of PRRSV-RNA detection in tongue tips in breeding herds undergoing PRRSV elimination. Final report.

The Foundation granted $30,000 to Dr Marcelo Almeida and co-investigators to fund the proposal, “Comparison of the pathological and clinical effects of an F18 enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli containing a tia adhesin gene against a contemporary F18 Escherichia coli strain.” The two objectives of the study are to compare the clinical impact and to assess the efficacy of a commercially available F18 E coli competitive exclusion product in controlling postweaning diarrhea caused by an ETEC-F18+/tia+. This work was presented at the 2023 ISU James D McKean Swine Disease Conference and will be presented as a poster in the Research Topics session of the 2024 AASV Annual Meeting. Final report.

Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators received $30,000 to fund the proposal “Evaluation of the protective efficacy of three PRRSV MLV vaccines against the newly emergent PRRSV 1-4-4-L1C variant strain in weaned pigs.” The objective of this study is to evaluate the protective efficacy of three porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV) modified live virus (MLV) vaccines against the newly emergent PRRSV 1-4-4 L1C variant strain in a weaned pig model. Interim report submitted to Foundation Board 2/2023. Final report submitted to the Foundation Board 11/1/2023; withheld pending manuscript submission. In the meantime, the research data has been presented the the 2023 ISU James D McKean Swine Conference and the 2023 North American PRRS Symposium and was also shared at the 2024 AASV Annual Meeting.

Dr Daniel Linhares and co-investigators were awarded $21,736 to fund the project, “Assessment of population-based sampling for detection of influenza A virus RNA in breeding herds.” The two objectives of this project are to compare the probability of detection of influenza A virus-swine (IAV-S) RNA between individual and population-based samples and to establish the probability of identifying IAV-S positive litters by using different sample sizes. This work was presented as a poster at the 2023 Iowa Pork Congress and also at the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting: “Use of family oral fluid to detect influenza A virus in the breeding herd.” Final report.

The Foundation granted $18,264 to Dr Gustavo Silva and co-investigators to partially fund the project, “Comparing herd-level sensitivity to detect PRRSV outbreaks among different surveillance methods.” The overarching goal of this study is to assess herd-level sensitivity among different surveillance samples to detect PRRSV outbreaks. A secondary objective is to characterize the impact of PRRSV. Preliminary results were presented at the 2023 AASV Annual Meeting in two presentations: Using production and clinical data to screen for PRRSV, and Integrating operational data to detect early signs of PRRSV introduction into sow farms, and also at the 16th International Symposium of Veterinary Epidemiology Economics (Halifax, Canada, August 7-12, 2022): Investigation of the use of sow off-feed events and number of abortions to early detect porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRSV) outbreaks in breeding herds (Abstract Book; page 407). A final report was submitted to the Foundation Board in June 2023 and is currently withheld pending manuscript submission and publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

The Foundation granted $25,111 to Dr Guilherme Milanez Preis and co-investigator Dr Cesar Corzo from the University of Minnesota to fund the proposal, “Assessing Senecavirus A shedding and transmission in growing pig populations.” The two objectives of the study are to describe SVA shedding patterns over time in growing pig populations and assess the state of infection in piglets after comingling in the nursery. This project will expand current knowledge on the epidemiology of SVA, especially during the grow-finishing phases, and be key to enabling swine veterinarians to build the next steps toward controlling and eliminating SVA. Results have been shared in an oral presentation in the Viral Diseases section of the IPVS 2022 Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Final Report

Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators from Iowa State University received $30,000 to fund the proposal “Generation of antisera against six commercial PRRSV modified live virus vaccines to evaluate their in vitro cross-neutralization against genetically diverse field and laboratory isolates of PRRSV.” They plan to generate antisera against six commercial PRRSV-2 MLV vaccines in experimentally vaccinated pigs and conduct in vitro cross-neutralization assays to determine the neutralizing antibody titers of each vaccine antisera against PRRSV-2 field isolates representing different genetic lineages and sublineages. The first stage of the research has been published in the special issue of Viruses: Enteric and Respiratory Viruses in
Animals 2023: Development, Evaluation, and Clinical Application of PRRSV-2 Vaccine-like Real-Time RT-PCR Assays. Another publication is anticipated after project completion, anticipated in June 2024. Interim Report

Drs Ben Hause, Chun-Ming Lin, Eric Nelson at South Dakota State University and co-investigators were awarded $27,700 to fund the project, “Etiological role of rotavirus infection in enteritis and porcine respiratory disease complex.” The overarching goal of this project is to understand the nature of porcine rotavirus infections and associated pathological changes in porcine lungs. Results have been shared in the peer-reviewed scientific manuscript and Final Report, “Indentification of Pulmonary Infections With Porcine Rotavirus A in Pigs With Respiratory Disease,” published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The Foundation granted $17,189 to partially fund Dr Darwin Reicks’ project, “Investigating differences in the source of Serratia and other bacteria in boar semen.” The objective of this project is to build on previous studies and identify more specifically identify the differences between boars who are part of a batch of semen where Serratia was identified and boars who were not. In addition, further comparisons will be made between boar studs that have never identified Serratia in extended semen and those that frequently identify Serratia and experience downstream fertility losses. Results were shared in a poster presentation at the 2022 AASV meeting. Final Report: Investigating differences in the source of Serratia and other bacteria in boar semen.

The Foundation granted $18,372 to Dr Cesar Corzo and co-investigators from the University of Minnesota to fund the proposal, “Assessing time to negative processing fluids in breeding herds after a Senecavirus A (SVA) outbreak.” The three objectives of the study are to estimate the time to negative after an SVA outbreak by using processing fluids, assess the role of heat-check boars in the perpetuation, persistence, and transmission of SVA within a farm, and estimate the production losses associated with an SVA outbreak. This project will lead to a better understanding of herd-level SVA epidemiology and implementation of aggressive programs for system-level elimination. Results will be shared as a summary in producer-oriented publications, in a peer-reviewed journal, and as oral presentations at swine veterinary conferences (e.g., AASV and Allen D. Leman Swine Conference). Final report: Assessing time to negative processing fluids in breeding herds after a Senecavirus A (SVA) outbreak. The research was published 5 Jan 2024 in Porcine Health Management: First assessment of weeks-to-negative processing fluids in breeding herds after a Senecavirus A outbreak.

Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators from Iowa State University received $18,372 to “Explore the unrecognized viruses potentially causing vesicular lesions in pigs.” They plan to conduct follow-up testing on the selected foreign animal disease (FAD) cases to explore the unrecognized agents potentially causing vesicular lesions in pigs and develop appropriate diagnostic assays for the identified agents. Investigators shared the research findings at the AAVLD Annual meeting, the 2021 North American PRRS Symposium, and the 2022 AASV Annual Meeting; work is underway on a manuscript for publication, Diagnostic investigation of vesicular lesions in pigs with unknown causative agents in a veterinary diagnostic laboratory in the USA during 2015-2021. Interim report submitted 4-12-2021; Final report submitted 11-1-2023; withheld pending manuscript publication.

Drs Edison Magalhaes and co-investigators at Iowa State University were awarded $23,256 to fund the project, “Measuring the effect of diseases on the productivity of growing pigs raised in field conditions.” The overarching goal of this project is to develop an automated on-going model to allow veterinarians to measure disease-associated determinants of swine wean-to-finish mortality. Results will be shared with the swine industry in the form of a scientific manuscript and submitted for consideration for presentation at swine conferences. Final Report. Two presentations were made at the 2021 AASV Annual Meeting: Consolidating diverse and dispersed datasets to reveal production system-specific drivers of swine performance under field conditions and Measuring the effect of disease on closeout performance. Peer-reviewed publication 11 Jan 2024 in Frontiers in Veterinary Science: Utilizing productivity and health breeding-to-market information along with disease diagnostic data to identify pig mortality risk factors in a U.S. swine production system.

A $30,000 grant was awarded to help Dr Locke Karriker and various co-investigators at Iowa State University answer the question, “Does knowledge of testing procedures or the format of culture and susceptibility reports from veterinary diagnostic laboratories influence antimicrobial selection decisions?” The two objectives of the study are to determine if training about how laboratory susceptibility results are generated changes antimicrobial selection, and to determine if the format and context of antimicrobial susceptibility reports changes antimicrobial selection. Results of the study will be disseminated through veterinary continuing education, peer-reviewed publication, and updated professional curriculum. Data from this study may support further studies aimed at influencing behaviors that could impact antimicrobial resistance. Final Report: Are antimicrobial selection decisions influenced?

Dr Fabio Vannucci and co-investigators at the University of Minnesota were awarded $19,700 to fund the project, “Development of a diagnostic platform for in situ detection and subtyping of PRRSV within histological lesions.” The goals of the project are to develop and validate a novel RNA-in situ hybridization (RNA-ISH) for detection and genotyping PRRSV strains in lung lesions, to evaluate the analytical performance and agreement between PRRSV ORF5 sequences detected by RNA-ISH in lung lesions and by classical sequencing obtained from tissue homogenate, and to differentiate wild-type PRRSV from vaccine strain in lung tissues of animals naturally infected during outbreak scenarios. The research will offer a rapid diagnostic tool to genetically characterize PRRSV strains in association with histopathological lesions. Final report: Development of a diagnostic platform for in situ detection and subtyping of PRRSV within histological lesions.

The Foundation granted $10,300 to Dr Hans Coetzee from Kansas State University to fund the proposal, “Evaluating the plasma pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tissue residues of oral firocoxib following transmammary delivery from sows to piglets.” He and co-investigators will describe the pharmacokinetics (PK) and bioavailability of oral firocoxib in sows, develop and validate a drug regimen for transmammary delivery of oral firocoxib from sows to piglets at processing, and describe the tissue residue concentrations of firocoxib in sows and piglets following oral administration. This research will optimize the dose, duration, and frequency of administration of oral firocoxib in sows for transmammary delivery to piglets prior to processing so that this can be safely and effectively implemented on swine production systems. Final Report: Evaluating the plasma pharmacokinetics, efficacy and tissue residues of oral firocoxib following transmammary delivery from sows to piglets. Publication: Pharmacokinetics and tissue concentrations of firocoxib in sows following oral administration.

A $30,000 grant was awarded to fund the project “Refining PRRSV classification system and sequencing reports to better characterize genetic diversity and relatedness of PRRSV,” to be carried out by Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators at Iowa State University. The study will analyze an ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory dataset of 37,345 PRRSV-2 (North American type) ORF5 sequences spanning 2000 through 2017, in order to refine a previously described lineage classification system. The resulting, thorough phylogenetic lineage classification system will 1) help describe genetic diversity and relatedness of PRRSV-2 in the U.S, 2) improve sequence reports of diagnostic cases, and 3) determine the prevalence and geographic distribution of PRRSV-2 in the U.S in regards to lineages and RFLP patterns. It is hoped that the classification system will provide a basis for further characterization of the antigenic relationship and cross-protection between different PRRSV-2 lineages in future studies. The research has been published in Microbiology Spectrum: Refining PRRSV-2 genetic classification based on global ORF5 sequences and investigation of their geographic distributions and temporal changes. A second manuscript, Refining genetic classification of global type 1 PRRS virus and characterization of their geographic and dynamic distributions, will be submitted to Pathogens when it is ready. A podcast related to PRRSV-2 ORF5-based genetic classification system with information derived from this research is available here. Final Report: Refining PRRSV classification system and sequencing reports to better characterize genetic diversity and relatedness of PRRSV.

Implications of this project: The reference sequences (n=1,100) representing the refined PRRSV-2 lineages and sublineages are provided together with the publication. Currently, the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS) has implemented this new PRRSV-2 genetic classification system. Multiple veterinary diagnostic laboratories are in the process of implementing this classification system. In order to make it more convenient for use, we have worked with Nextclade to incorporate our classification system. At the ISU PRRSView website https://prrsv.vdl.iastate.edu/, a link for the beta-testing version “ORF5 Nextclade Classifier (BETA)” is available on the leftside. By clicking that link, people can get access to Nextclade PRRSV-2 ORF5-based genetic classification tool. People around the world can enter their PRRSV-2 ORF5 sequences and obtain the lineage/sublineage information in a few seconds. This will not only be a useful and convenient tool for swine veterinarians, diagnosticians, researchers, and practitioners in the USA but also facilitate global standardization and application of PRRSV-2 genetic classification. After the refined PRRSV-1 ORF5-based genetic classification system is published, it will be incorporated in the Nextclade system tool for global use.

Dr Daniel Linhares and various co-investigators at Iowa State University received funding for two separate projects. The foundation awarded $12,582 for Dr Linhares’ proposal to study “the effect of attenuated PRRSV mass vaccination on subsequent downstream mortality.” The goal of the project is to assess the impact of quarterly MLV mass vaccination of PRRSV-stable breeding herds on grow-to-finish mortality using natural experiments under field conditions. The results will provide information to help swine veterinarians make better informed decisions regarding the use of PRRSV MLV vaccine and other interventions in the sow herd to reduce wean-to-market mortality. Final Report: The effect of attenuated PRRSV mass vaccination on subsequent downstream mortality

The foundation granted an additional $8,418 to carry out Dr Linhares’ second proposal, “Monitoring ISU VDL data for signs of emerging diseases.” This project will develop and incorporate analytical tools for the automated detection of significant changes in test results of major swine pathogens, allowing early identification of disease threats affecting swine. Final Report: Monitoring ISU VDL data for signs of emerging diseases

Dr Perle Boyer at the University of Minnesota received a grant of $9000 to fund her proposal to develop day-1 competencies for swine veterinary graduates. The project will be carried out by a faculty task force at the University of Minnesota, with input by swine practitioners from across the US and Canada. The resulting prioritized list of skills will be published and shared with other colleges of veterinary medicine, and made available to veterinary students at the AASV annual meeting and on the AASV website. The research has been published in Education in The Health Professions. Final Report: Developing day-1 competencies for swine veterinary graduates

A grant of $30,000 was awarded to Dr Jianqiang Zhang and co-investigators at Iowa State University to fund the project “Comparison of PRRSV virus isolation in different cell lines towards improving success of isolating PRRSV from clinical samples.” The study will use serum, lung, and oral fluid samples to compare the use of 2 different cell lines for virus isolation. The project will also evaluate the correlation of PRRSV concentration, genetic lineage, and specimen type to virus isolation success. The goal is to improve the success of PRRS virus isolation attempts when requested by swine practitioners for autogenous vaccine production or further characterization. Final Report: Comparison of PRRSV virus isolation in different cell lines towards improving success of isolating PRRSV from clinical samples. Paper published March 2021 in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol 59, Issue 3: Comparison of ZMAC and MARC-145 Cell Lines for Improving Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Isolation from Clinical Samples. Paper published 15 July 2022 in Transboundary and Emerging Diseases: Characterization of PRRSV in clinical samples and the corresponding cell culture isolates. Dr. Zhang also presented information derived from this research in the following podcasts: SDRS podcast, Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast Part I, Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast Part II.

Dr Daniel Linhares at Iowa State University, along with co-investigators at ISU and Carthage Veterinary Service Ltd, was awarded a grant of $11,824 to investigate the effect of attenuated PRRSV on short-term and long-term whole herd productivity. The primary objective of the study is to investigate and measure the impact of MLV vaccine on key breeding herd performance parameters, using natural experiments under field conditions. It is anticipated this information will be used with existing economic models to assist swine veterinarians in making informed decisions regarding the use of PRRSV MLV vaccine as a preventive tool. Final Report: Assessment of immediate production impact following attenuated PRRS virus vaccination in endemically infected breeding herds.

The AASV Foundation awarded a grant of $17,500 to Dr Steve Tousignant at Swine Vet Center to fund a proposal designed to determine the sero-prevalence of Seneca Valley A virus in a convenience sample collected from U.S. sow farms. The research will also explore risk factors associated with the presence of the SVA virus in sow farms. Final Report: Sero-prevalence of Senecavirus A and risk factors among a convenience sample of sow farms in the United States

Dr Scott Dee at Pipestone Veterinary Services was awarded a grant of $15,000 to assist with funding for a study to evaluate a shipping model using viral proxies to investigate whether foreign animal diseases could survive in feed ingredients shipped from Asia to the US. The study will also evaluate whether two chemical mitigants could reduce the risk of pathogen survival. Presented at the 2017 AASV Annual Meeting: Modeling the transboundary survival of foreign animal disease pathogens in contaminated feed ingredients. Final Report: Modeling the transboundary survival of foreign animal disease pathogens in contaminated feed ingredients

The foundation allocated $15,000 to fund a proposal submitted by Dr Mike Murtaugh at the University of Minnesota toward designing a challenge-free model to predict vaccine efficacy. Presented at the 2017 AASV Annual Meeting: B-cell tetramer to evaluate memory immune response to PRRSV. Final Report: Toward animal challenge-free prediction of vaccine efficacy

$12,500 was awarded to Dr Derald Holtkamp at Iowa State University to support a study to compare the effectiveness of standard entry versus bench entry biosecurity protocols in a commercial swine facility. Presented at the 2017 AASV Annual Meeting: Comparison of standard and bench entry protocols for prevention of environmental contamination due to personnel entry in a commercial swine facility. Final Report: Comparison of standard and bench entry protocols for prevention of environmental contamination due to personnel entry in a commercial swine facility

The AASV Foundation awarded a grant of $7,490 to Dr Paisley Canning at Iowa State University to fund a proposal designed to help address the challenge of providing swine training to interested swine-focused students at veterinary colleges across the country. Dr Canning will develop a network of swine and production animal medicine clubs at veterinary schools for the purpose of transmitting live broadcasts of 3 swine-focused seminars hosted by the ISU AASV Student Chapter to the participating schools. Final Report: Swine Seminar Series

Dr Trevor Schwartz at Suidae Health & Production was awarded a grant of $16,450 to assist with funding for a study on the effect of PEDV vaccination on PEDV-naïive sows and previously PEDV-exposed sows in a controlled PEDV challenge model. The study will compare vaccinated and unvaccinated sow immune response and litter pre-weaning morbidity/mortality in an effort to determine if there is a significant difference between naiive and previously exposed sows, and whether the measured immune response can be correlated with litter pre-weaning morbidity/mortality. Final Report: Evaluation of the effects of PEDV vaccine on PEDV naiive and previously PEDV exposed sows in a challenge model comparing immune response and preweaning mortality

The foundation allocated $15,000 to fund a proposal submitted by Dr Carissa Odland at Pipestone Veterinary Clinic to perform efficacy testing of a novel method of euthanasia of suckling piglets. The ultimate goal is to gain FDA approval of the process in order to provide swine veterinarians and producers with a simple and humane method of euthanizing small piglets. Final Report: Efficacy testing for a novel method for euthanasia of suckling piglets

Eric Bumgardner and Dr Paulraj Lawrence at Newport Laboratories were awarded $21,060 to assist with the development of a bivalent PRRS/PCV2 vaccine capable of inducing broader cross-protection against PRRS. They hope to develop vaccination strategies that can be used in commercial swine herds to protect animals against diverse PRRSV strains and to gain insight into the immunological properties of PRRSV. Interim Report: Bivalent PRRSV/PCV2 vaccine development – Phase 1

The AASV Foundation awarded a grant of $30,000 to support a proposal submitted by Dr James Lowe at the University of Illinois. Lowe and fellow investigators will be studying “The effects of cross-fostering strategy on the immune system, microbiome and lifetime growth in pigs with minimal disease loads.” By examining the impact of the periparturient acquisition of non-inherited factors on piglet health and performance, their goal is to help shape management practices that improve host robustness in the face of disease challenge. Final Report: Influence of maternal microbial communities on the mucosal microbiome of neonatal pigs.

Dr Darwin Reicks at the Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn, was awarded a grant of $25,000 to study “Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) shedding and contamination potential from infected boars.” The project goal is to determine if PEDV can be transmitted in boar semen and if the virus is a fecal contaminant or the result of systemic infection or cellular trafficking from an intestinal infection. Final Report: PED and boars: Research update

A grant of $5000 was awarded to Dr Cate Dewey at the University of Guelph, to fund the proposal, “Reducing pathogen spread during farm feed delivery.” One-page briefs will be prepared for major swine pathogens as well as a quick-reference chart summarizing the information. The materials will be peer-reviewed and ultimately shared with AASV members for distribution to producers, feed company personnel and others. Final Report: 2014_Dewey_Reducing_Pathogen_Spread Biosecurity Fact Sheets: Basic Fact Sheets; Detailed Fact Sheets

The AASV Foundation has approved support in the amount of $4324 to fund the study, “Comparison of regional limb injection to systemic medication for the treatment of septic lameness in sows.” The project coordinator is Dr. Brandon Dominguez at the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University. The project will explore whether regional intravenous limb perfusion of lincomycin HCl provides an improved method for treating sow lameness caused by localized septic conditions, as compared to treating with systemic lincomycin only. Final Report: 2013_Regional Limb Perfusion

The foundation also approved support of up to $6000 for a proposal to host a Dahlem-style workshop on “Disease surveillance in complex production systems,” submitted by Drs Eric Neumann (Massey University) and Jeff Zimmerman (Iowa State University). The funding is contingent upon the investigators securing the additional co-funding necessary to conduct the workshop, which is slated to take place in late 2013. Final Report: The workshop was not held; funds were not disbursed.

The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce funding for the study, “Applied swine genomics for PRRSv resistance and pathogenesis in the fetus and uterus.”  The project proposal, submitted by Dr. Susan Detmer at the University of Saskatchewan, was approved for funding in the amount of $6,000 by the AASV Foundation’s research review committee. The foundation’s support will supplement the project’s primary funding from Genome Canada (co-primary investigator: Dr. John Harding), enabling a graduate student to participate in the data collection and analysis over the summer.Using a reproductive model developed over the past year, the multi-center project will examine the PRRS resistance within sows and fetuses by comparing the genotype of the fetuses and dams to the tissue viral loads and histopathologic lesions in the fetuses and adjacent uterus. Multivariate analysis will be used to estimate potential relationships between predictor variables and the PRRS-resistance score. Additionally, the project will be looking at specifically identified potential markers of PRRS resistance.

Final Report: Using an unprecedented 133 pregnant gilts, 114 PRRSv inoculated and 19 mock-infected on gestation day 85 (±1), the live animal work occurred between April and October 2012. The necropsy was performed on day 21 post-infection, where a team of over 20 people collected samples from the sows and fetuses, which were cataloged and dispersed to collaborators in Canada and the USA. As of January 2014, the uterine tissues were scored using a new scoring system and statistical analysis had been performed. The results of the student’s work was presented as part of the research topics poster session at the 2014 AASV meeting: Relationship of microscopic lesions and viral load in fetal implantation sites for type 2 PRRSv infected pregnant gilts by Novakovic P, Al-Dissi A, Ladinig A, Harding J, and Detmer S. Additional results were reported by the same authors at the 2014 IPVS Congress: Relationship of microscopic lesions and viral load in fetal implantation sites for type 2 PRRSV-infected pregnant gilts.

The AASV Foundation is providing support in the amount of $6000 to build an online training module to teach “best practices” for selection, collection, handling, and submission of diagnostic samples, targeted to 4th-year veterinary students. The module will be presented in video formats compatible with iPads and smartphones in addition to traditional desktop computers. The project is underway at Iowa State University under the direction of Drs. Darin Madson, Jason Hocker, and Locke Karriker. Final Report: 2011_DiagnosticSubmissions

The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce the funding of research with application to the swine veterinary profession. The foundation’s research review committee selected a proposal submitted by Dr. Cate Dewey for funding in the amount of $5,560.

The foundation’s support will fund efforts at the University of Guelph to expose pre-veterinary and veterinary students to the basics of swine production management and career opportunities in swine medicine.  The program will engage two groups of 5 to 6 students in a series of on-farm seminars and group discussions during the 2010-11 school year. The students will have the opportunity to observe and participate in on-farm activities related to each stage of pig development. In addition, they will attend at least one swine continuing education meeting, discuss research published in JSHAP, and meet with swine veterinarians engaged in private practice as well as other swine-related careers. At the conclusion of the program, an exit survey will be administered to determine if the program influenced the students’ decisions regarding swine veterinary medicine. A summary of the findings will be published in the Journal of Swine Health and Production. Final report: 2010_PrevetProgram

The Foundation did not extend funding for research in 2009.

The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of three research proposals for funding in 2008.  The funding – in the amount of $6000 per proposal – will support research efforts at four Midwest universities.

At the University of Minnesota, work is underway to develop a real-time PCR for the detection of Actinobacillus suis. AASV Foundation support for this project will enable primary investigator Dr. Simone Oliveira to employ a veterinary student to participate in the research effort and submit the results for publication and presentation during the AASV annual meeting. Final report: RT-PCR for A. suis

Drs. Locke Karriker and Alex Ramirez at Iowa State University are leading a project to create a swine medicine field manual. The Foundation funds will assist with the peer review and publication of the first edition of the manual, which consists of a compilation of field diagnostic techniques for swine veterinarians and students. The manual will be produced in electronic as well as print format.

The third project funded by the AASV Foundation involves a joint effort by researchers at Kansas State University and Michigan State University, and private practitioners. The proposal, submitted by Dr. Megan Potter at Kansas State, will explore the use of PCV2 vaccine as a tool in the elimination of PCV2 from infected swine herds. The Foundation contribution will support the diagnostic testing needed to complete the third phase of the study. Final Report: PCV2 Elimination Study

The AASV Foundation provided support in the amount of $6000 to investigator Dr. Scott Dee to assist with the compilation of a bilingual PRRS virus biosecurity manual summarizing routes, intervention and monitoring protocols for use on commercial farms. Final report: PRRS Biosecurity Manual (English); PRRS Biosecurity Manual (Spanish)