Latest News From Biosecurity

Good Farm Security is Good Biosecurity
Good Farm Security is Good Biosecurity

Farmers typically focus on biosecurity protocols on the farm, but don't forget some threats come from outside the farm. Animal rights extremists continue to attempt to gain access to farms by any means necessary.

How Do Vehicle Networks Play a Role in Swine Disease Dissemination?
How Do Vehicle Networks Play a Role in Swine Disease Dissemination?

What happens from a biosecurity standpoint when vehicles move from farm to farm? NCSU researchers are studying between-farm contact networks formed by different vehicle movements to identify "disease super-spreaders."

Protect Your Pigs from Verminous Pneumonia
Protect Your Pigs from Verminous Pneumonia

Pigs raised outdoors or on non-slatted floors are at risk for parasitic roundworms that can cause verminous pneumonia, a potentially fatal but preventable lung condition.

SHIC Rapid Response Teams Stand Ready
SHIC Rapid Response Teams Stand Ready

How can the Swine Health Information Center's Rapid Response Program help your farm in a time of crisis?

Boehringer Ingelheim Launches Free PRRS Handbook
Boehringer Ingelheim Launches Free PRRS Handbook

PRRS continues to be the most economically significant disease affecting the U.S. swine industry. Boehringer Ingelheim is launching a PRRS Knowledge Manual, chronicling years of research and best practices for control. 

The Elephant In The Barn: Why We Can’t Ignore This Risk on the Pig Farm
The Elephant In The Barn: Why We Can’t Ignore This Risk on the Pig Farm

The swine industry is facing a labor nightmare. Although one solution – contracted labor – has helped many farms across the country battle this challenge, it poses risks that simply can’t be ignored any longer.

PRRS: Winter is Coming
PRRS: Winter is Coming

Ready or not, peak disease transmission season has arrived. Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is a frustrating and complicated disease. How prepared are your farm and team for PRRS season?

USDA to Fund Research on SARS-CoV-2 in Animals
USDA to Fund Research on SARS-CoV-2 in Animals

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will disseminate $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding to address SARS-CoV-2 in animals and advance the nation’s ability to protect animal and human health.

This Little Piggy Went Wee Wee Wee Wee All the Way Back to Mexico
This Little Piggy Went Wee Wee Wee Wee All the Way Back to Mexico

A miniature pet pig didn't make it through the U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in San Diego, Calif. Here's what happened.

When All Hell Broke Loose: Our PRRS Outbreak
When All Hell Broke Loose: Our PRRS Outbreak

The first 10 days were hell, says Kyle Baade, a Nebraska pork producer. After that, if a visitor showed up, he says they would have no idea the farm had any issues. Here's his PRRS story and how it changed his life.

Which Disinfectants Kill African Swine Fever? 
Which Disinfectants Kill African Swine Fever? 

USDA recently added two chemicals to the list of approved disinfectants for use against animal disease because of Pork Checkoff-funded research. 

Urgency is Key to Fighting Japanese Encephalitis Virus
Urgency is Key to Fighting Japanese Encephalitis Virus

History shows we don’t always learn from others like we should. Take PED. When this virus hit China, Paul Sundberg, DVM, recalls sitting with other veterinarians saying, “It’s a good thing we don’t have it here."

Iowa State University Mines Blood Cell Data to Improve Swine Health
Iowa State University Mines Blood Cell Data to Improve Swine Health

Iowa State University scientists are leading a new study to mine the intricate content of pigs’ blood cells to improve selection for disease resilience.

A Proactive Step Forward in Pork Industry's Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program
A Proactive Step Forward in Pork Industry's Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program

Proactively enhancing wean-to-harvest biosecurity will help control the next emerging disease in the U.S. pork industry and improve swine herd health. Here's the latest from the Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Program.

Minnesota DNR Captures Feral Pigs
Minnesota DNR Captures Feral Pigs

Feral pigs were captured by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in southern Minnesota late last month, raising concerns for the No. 2 pig-producing state in the U.S.

Warning Tool Could Help Pig Farmers Improve Disease Prevention, Preparedness
Warning Tool Could Help Pig Farmers Improve Disease Prevention, Preparedness

A new methodology is being developed to communicate when a swine disease is occurring nearby.

Experts Examine Risk of Bacteria Spillover from Wild Animals to the U.S. Swine Herd
Experts Examine Risk of Bacteria Spillover from Wild Animals to the U.S. Swine Herd

What's the risk of bacteria spillover from North American wild mammal species into the U.S. swine herd? 

Newly Identified Swine Disease in Ecuador Under SHIC's Watchful Eye
Newly Identified Swine Disease in Ecuador Under SHIC's Watchful Eye

An undiagnosed swine disease in Ecuador is under the watchful eye of the Swine Health Information Center.

ASF Action Week: What You Need to Know About This Deadly Swine Disease
ASF Action Week: What You Need to Know About This Deadly Swine Disease

Although ASF has never been detected in the U.S., the 2021 detection in the Dominican Republic and Haiti means the disease is now the closest to the U.S. that it has been in decades. Join USDA APHIS for ASF Action Week.

Agro-Terrorism and the Food Supply Chain: This is a Different World, Rose Says
Agro-Terrorism and the Food Supply Chain: This is a Different World, Rose Says

If you want to disrupt a government, disrupt the food supply. "Ag is critical infrastructure," says Andrew Rose, strategic advisor. “Three weeks without food and agriculture, and it’s over.”

Why Not Rope Knot? New Way to Test Wean Pigs for PRRS Could Save Time, Money
Why Not Rope Knot? New Way to Test Wean Pigs for PRRS Could Save Time, Money

After spending a summer working with pigs and seeing not only the devastating effect of PRRS on a sow farm, but also the labor shortage crisis facing the swine industry, Carly Bates wanted to find a way to help.

AgriTalk: Trade Tops NPPC’s List of Priorities
AgriTalk: Trade Tops NPPC’s List of Priorities

Terry Wolters, NPPC president, discusses the pork industry's top priorities on AgriTalk this week.

Morrison Swine Innovator Prize Winner Takes a Deeper Look at Lawsonia
Morrison Swine Innovator Prize Winner Takes a Deeper Look at Lawsonia

If you’re curious about the future of veterinarian technology, rest assured it looks bright. Learn about the winner of the 2022 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize.

Pork Industry Steps Up to Address Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity
Pork Industry Steps Up to Address Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity

Biosecurity dominated the discussion at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference this week. Although sow farm and boar stud biosecurity are always critical, more time was devoted to discuss wean-to-harvest biosecurity.

Biosecurity: Are We Adding Hazards Faster Than Control Measures?
Biosecurity: Are We Adding Hazards Faster Than Control Measures?

When it comes to biosecurity in the swine industry, have we made progress? Montserrat Torremorell doubts pork producers would have believed her 20 years ago what we are doing today to keep disease off the sow farm.

Disease Fears Prompt Ban of Pigs At Melbourne Royal Show in Australia
Disease Fears Prompt Ban of Pigs At Melbourne Royal Show in Australia

Fear of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks have prompted the ban of pigs from the 2022 Melbourne Royal Show in Australia.

When Disaster Strikes: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Provides New Insight
When Disaster Strikes: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Provides New Insight

What do the pork, beef and poultry industries have in common? Taking a look at the impacts of a disease outbreak might lead to striking similarities.

Wake-Up Call: Pigs Contract Senecavirus A Through Imported Feed
Wake-Up Call: Pigs Contract Senecavirus A Through Imported Feed

This is one of the biggest pieces of news the pork industry has had in regard to disease control in years, says Scott Dee regarding real-world proof linking virus transmission in feed to an outbreak of disease in pigs.

New Border Limits Set on Pork as African Swine Fever Threat Mounts in UK
New Border Limits Set on Pork as African Swine Fever Threat Mounts in UK

New restrictions are being placed on travelers bringing pork products into Great Britain in an effort to protect the pork industry from African swine fever, BBC reports. 

3 Universities Join CDC Midwest Center’s Effort Against Disease-Bearing Ticks and Mosquitoes
3 Universities Join CDC Midwest Center’s Effort Against Disease-Bearing Ticks and Mosquitoes

Purdue University, Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame have joined the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Diseases. One of the labs will target Culex mosquitoes, carriers of West Nile virus.

JEV in Australia: A Warning Shot that the U.S. Could Be Next?
JEV in Australia: A Warning Shot that the U.S. Could Be Next?

Why should the U.S. pork industry continue to pay attention to Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Australia? Here's a look at how JEV compares to West Nile Virus and what makes the U.S. a concerning environment.

Shocking Surprise: Federal Agents Stop Bologna and Tramadol Smuggling Attempt
Shocking Surprise: Federal Agents Stop Bologna and Tramadol Smuggling Attempt

A shocking seizure by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the port of Santa Teresa, N.M., on Aug. 25 uncovered 90 pounds of prohibited pork bologna and 4,600 Tramadol pills. Here's what happened next.

Manure_Spreader
Avoid Potential PED Contamination When Spreading Manure, Canada Officials Urge

Canadian health officials urge pork producers to be especially cautious when spreading manure this fall due to the high number of manure storages contaminated with PED virus. It's a good reminder for the U.S., too.

Supply Entry Rooms: Reduce the Risk of Virus Introduction on Your Farm
Supply Entry Rooms: Reduce the Risk of Virus Introduction on Your Farm

Supply entry rooms: a sneaky way unwanted pathogens can enter your farm. A study discovers the temperature and time required to inactivate PRRS and PED virus on contaminated surfaces often found in supply entry rooms.

Federal Agents Seize Mooncakes at JFK Airport
Federal Agents Seize Mooncakes at JFK Airport

Federal agents seized more than 40 lbs. of Mooncakes, 1,200 lbs. of olives and nearly 2,600 lbs. of clams in a shipment from China at JFK Airport last week.

South Korea Orders 48-Hour Standstill After African Swine Fever Outbreak
South Korea Orders 48-Hour Standstill After African Swine Fever Outbreak

A 48-hour standstill was ordered over the weekend on pig farms and related facilities in the eastern Gangwon Province in South Korea after confirmation of a second African swine fever case this year. 

Look Who's Presenting Keynotes at the 2022 Leman Swine Conference
Look Who's Presenting Keynotes at the 2022 Leman Swine Conference

Here's a look at the keynote speakers at the 2022 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference, organized by the University of Minnesota, on September 17-20 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre.

Improve Feed Sampling Using K-State's New Resources
Improve Feed Sampling Using K-State's New Resources

One source of disease-producing pathogens often overlooked is feed. Kansas State University provides new feed sampling resources to help educate and standardize the procedure.

Wind, PRRS and Pig Farm Biosecurity: Learn from Our Outbreak
Wind, PRRS and Pig Farm Biosecurity: Learn from Our Outbreak

The last several months have been brutal in Nebraska in relation to PRRS breaks. Big farms, little farms, commercial farms and clean show pig farms all broke. PRRS does not discriminate on size or type, says Benny Mote.

African Swine Fever: More Work Needs to Be Done, Swine Health Experts Say
African Swine Fever: More Work Needs to Be Done, Swine Health Experts Say

Although significant progress in preparedness and prevention of African swine fever has been made in the U.S., more work needs to be done, shared a group of swine health experts on the latest SHIC Talk podcast.

Foreign Animal Disease Preparation Workshops Planned for Iowa Pork Producers
Foreign Animal Disease Preparation Workshops Planned for Iowa Pork Producers

The importance of foreign animal disease preparedness, including proper biosecurity measures to aid in reducing the risk of introducing a foreign animal disease, will be a focus of upcoming workshops in Iowa.

App Helps Pork Producers Secure Their Biosecurity Plans
App Helps Pork Producers Secure Their Biosecurity Plans

The Rapid Access Biosecurity app can help in the event of a transboundary or foreign animal disease outbreak in the U.S., said Corinne Bromfield, University of Missouri swine extension veterinarian.

5 Steps to Reduce the Health Tax on Your Swine Farm
5 Steps to Reduce the Health Tax on Your Swine Farm

As swine producers, you all pay a health tax at the end of the year, whether you know it or not. This tax is paid on every pig and reflects the cost of less-than-perfect health in an operation.

Four Star Veterinary Service 2022 Pork Industry Conference Registration Open
Four Star Veterinary Service 2022 Pork Industry Conference Registration Open

Trade and biosecurity will highlight the 2022 Pork Industry Conference hosted by Four Star Veterinary Service on Sept. 14 at the Grand Wayne Convention Center in Fort Wayne, Ind.

One of the Most Important Questions Every Pig Farmer Should Ask
One of the Most Important Questions Every Pig Farmer Should Ask

Where does your feed come from? It’s one of the most important questions every pig farmer should ask. Although feed biosecurity might not be as talked about, experts agree it should be part of every biosecurity plan. 

The Swientist Craze: Why Kids Are Lining Up to Learn About Swine Biosecurity
The Swientist Craze: Why Kids Are Lining Up to Learn About Swine Biosecurity

Sticky, gooey glitter snot. Squirt guns. Vials of mucus. Sound appealing? There’s no question the Swientist is a popular stop for youth exhibitors at The Exposition and National Junior Summer Spectacular. But, why?

Oral Rabies Vaccine for Raccoons, Skunks Continues Under Field Evaluation
Oral Rabies Vaccine for Raccoons, Skunks Continues Under Field Evaluation

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will continue field evaluation of the oral rabies vaccine bait ONRAB in seven states with a focus on effectiveness in raccoons, skunks and other wildlife.

Early Warning System to Detect Emerging Disease Among NPPC's Comments to APHIS
Early Warning System to Detect Emerging Disease Among NPPC's Comments to APHIS

NPPC submitted comments to APHIS' new strategic plan framework. Suggestions included increasing staff within its Veterinary Services and developing an early warning system to detect emerging and zoonotic diseases.

6 Ways to Protect Pigs and People at the County Fair
6 Ways to Protect Pigs and People at the County Fair

County fair season is here. Whether it conjures up memories of cotton candy and ferris wheels or purple banners and livestock shows, the last thing you want is to get left out of the fun by a case of influenza. 

Mortality Continues to Challenge Pork Producers
Mortality Continues to Challenge Pork Producers

Although not a big surprise, the 2017-2021 Production Analysis Summary for the U.S. Pork Industry revealed a continued mortality increase across all production phases. Here's a look at why mortality gaps are growing.