From identifying knowledge gaps to breaking down barriers for disease control, the conversations that took place on Sept. 22 during the Carlos Pijoan SDEC Symposium at the 50th Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn., covered a wide expanse of topics weighing on the industry’s mind.
Here are some things we heard that are worth repeating.
“When we create processes, we have to think about principle. People want to do the right thing but sometimes we put barriers on that make it impossible to do it right. The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing. Understand the principle, explain the principle, eliminate the steps that don’t matter and stick to the steps that do. Sometimes you need to compromise. Know the non-negotiable.” – Luc Dufresne, DVM, with Swine Veterinary Partners, in “Biosecurity Compliance: A Guide for Non-Levitating Farm Staff”
“Don’t just answer the question, question the answers.” – Jerry Shurson, professor at the University of Minnesota, in “Things Are Not Always as They Seem: A roadmap to evaluate potential virus transmission and mitigation in feed”
“Don’t wait until you are in the middle of an outbreak and say ‘Oh shoot.’ We’ve learned that on-farm disposal of dead animals is safer. Off-farm is riskier. That’s why we stopped dangerous practices during pre-movement and post-placement isolation periods.” – Rosemary Marusak, DVM, risk analyst at the University of Minnesota in “Mortality Disposal Practices During FAD Outbreaks”
“Environmental samples from rendering boxes can test positive for porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) and may also contain viable virus. The presence of positive samples on roads suggests a potential pathway for PRRSV transmission between farms.” – Igor Paploski, researcher at the University of Minnesota, in “From Farm to Safety: Dead Animal Disposal Practices and PRRSV Risk”
“Investing in market haul sanitation is beneficial – not only for its direct impact, but also for foreign animal disease (FAD) preparedness.” – Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor at Iowa State University, in “Life at the Bottom of the Biosecurity Pyramid: Economics of Market Haul Sanitation”
“Even if we all go away from rendering, it won’t happen tomorrow. So, how can we make rendering less risky? Use the right equipment, develop the right setup (away from the farm, separate driveway, ramp for dumping, separate sides for farm staff versus rendering truck), consider disinfecting the box and around the box if it’s possible, and train your employees.” – Marjorie Schleper, DVM, with Christensen Farms, in “Alternatives to Rendering for Nursery/Grow-Finish Mortality Management: A const and feasibility analysis
“There are a lot of questions we need to answer about the spread of PRRS virus in feed before we can really feel confident about how this is happening.” – Megan Hood, DVM, with Reicks Veterinary Research and Consulting, in “Infectivity of PRRS Virus in Feed: With and Without Mitigants”
“Late nursery PRRS breaks are an ongoing concern. I think there are two big questions to answer: Is it barn contamination or are introductions more recent? Does current testing and virus comparison tell the whole story?” – Brad Leuwerke, DVM, with Swine Vet Center, in “Detangling the Causality Web: Late nursery phase PRRS virus introductions”
“Detection of PRRS RNA on surfaces of farms housing positive pigs is possible. Although detection was low, the concentration of viral RNA in the sample can be significant. Most of the positive samples originated from exhaust fan cones. The virus was found to be viable in a ‘low’ proportion of samples. This underscores the importance of biocontainment. Barn exit procedures are important to decrease probability of personnel becoming carriers. We need to continue understanding indirect transmission routes.” – Cesar Corzo, Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, in “Environmental Sampling at PRRS Outbreak Sites: Detection Frequency and Semi-Quantification”
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