Novel tools, technologies and approaches are needed to augment current biosecurity practices in the U.S. swine industry. That’s why 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 U.S. swine farms.
The newly funded projects include quantifying trailer contamination rates at the harvest plant interface led by Cesar Corzo at the University of Minnesota, and assessing viral contamination of mortality disposal structures at wean-to-market farms led by Igor Paploski at the University of Minnesota.
Each of the two newly funded projects investigate unique routes for disease transmission through market transport and mortality management. Here’s a closer look at what these two projects will seek to discover.
- “Quantification of the trailer contamination risk at the harvest plant: An assessment of current trailer positivity rate and associated factors.”
Led by Cesar Corzo at the University of Minnesota
Developed in collaboration with the Meat Institute, this project seeks to gather and analyze key data on viral pathogen contamination rates of transport trailers throughout the year at the interface with the harvest facility, including PEDV, SVA, and PRRSV. The goal of the research is to understand potential epidemiological factors related to the trailer and unloading process that contribute to increased or decreased contamination risks. - “Assessing viral environmental contamination: An investigation of dead animal disposal structures in wean-to-market farms”
Led by Igor Paploski at the University of Minnesota
This project seeks to describe current biosecurity practices associated with dead animal disposal, assess viral environmental contamination around mortality disposal structures including composting bins and dead boxes, and test an environmental decontamination strategy. The goals of the research are to identify practices associated with viral contamination of mortality structures and develop actionable information for risk mitigation of disease transmission through mortality management.
SHIC says the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program continues to accept research proposal submissions which address the five targeted priority areas until funds have been expended. Total project funds available since the program’s inception are $2.3 million. Real-time results of all projects will be shared as quickly as they become available for producers to implement knowledge gained on the farm.
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