A variety of topics ranging from H5N1 to the future of the veterinary industry kicked off conversations during the 2025 American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) annual meeting in San Francisco, Calif., taking place March 1-4. Swine veterinarians, researchers and industry experts from all over the world gathered to dig into the conference theme of being the pig’s champion.
Here’s a quick glimpse of what some of the experts had to say.
“Today we are sitting in a room in California, and I am telling you that our industry needs to shift to focus on the needs and wants of the Californian consumer. Our industry will not thrive if we cannot win over the millennial and Generation Z consumers of California. At the exact same time, I am aware that the Californian consumer has no idea how food is produced in the United States. They are in no way qualified to determine how pigs are raised. So how do we move forward with both things being true?” – Cara Haden, DVM, with Pipestone in the Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture “Who Gets to Be the Pig’s Champion?”
“The things I’m most proud of are the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’m proud of the fact that farms and farmers call us when they face difficult situations. When the barn is on fire, when the roof collapses – they call us to make the difficult decisions. I’m proud to be a veterinarian.” – Clayton Johnson, DVM, with Carthage Veterinary Service in the Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture “The Challenges and Opportunities of Becoming the Pig’s Champion”
“When needed, stand up for your profession and the swine industry when claims are blatantly untrue. However, do not be too quick to fall on the sword and always defend the status-quo. Let’s be honest, some housing and production practices have dubious effects on pig welfare and we need to own that. It is critical as practitioners to keep listening and learning. We should always be thinking ‘How can I do and be better today?’” – Anna Johnson, professor of animal behavior and welfare in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University, in “Advancing Pig Welfare Together: Standing on the Shoulders of Angela”
“A comprehensive flu control program must consider biosecurity measures that address indirect transmission routes. Now is the time to strengthen our biosecurity measures.” – Montse Torremorell in “Don’t be a Fomite: The Role of PPE”
“We have many challenges for the future of the Brazilian swine industry: limitations of logistical infrastructure, limited access to credit and financial cost of investment, continued effort for prudent use of antimicrobials, gradual adaptation to animal welfare regulations and we need to raise biosecurity standards at the farm level.” – Glauber Machado in “Brazilian swine industry: An update on actual strategies and future perspectives”
“We are still fighting ASF. It’s a slow burn in the Philippines. It’s important right now to make sure we have the diagnostics available that you have in the U.S. Every case that looks like African swine fever (ASF) or could be the start of ASF, we test immediately. If a sow doesn’t eat, we have the sow tested for ASF because we know how fast it can go.” – Angel Manabat in “ASF Control and Management Challenges in the Philippines”
“Spillover influenza from humans to swine occur often, but some remain undetected. When we have a heavy influenza season on the human side, we will see a greater spillover into swine. It may be why we are seeing more of the H3s now.” – Phil Gauger in “Human Spillover Cases in Swine”
“If this wasn’t H5 and was just another flu virus, we’d have vaccine in pigs in two weeks. This is a different beast because of regulatory authority and implications on trade.” – Scanlon Daniels in “Expect the Unexpected: Are Swine Veterinarians Ready for H5N1?”
Your Next Read: Can We Breed Better Mothers for Free Farrowing Conditions?
