Latest News From Hog Health

Xylazine is an important animal sedative that's used in almost every sector of veterinary medicine. However, illicit or illegal xylazine is increasingly showing up in street drugs.

Producers now have a safe and effective water administration option for controlling swine respiratory disease in reproducing sows in both the U.S. and Canada, Pharmgate says about Aivlosin Water Soluble Granules.

Lisa Becton has been named associate director of the Swine Health Information Center. Most recently, Becton served as the National Pork Board’s director of swine health.

The first commercial vaccine to use only the influenza neuraminidase (NA) surface antigen to vaccinate pigs against influenza strains H1N1, H1N2 and H3N2 is now commercially available.

African swine fever is not slowing down it's deadly spread around the globe. The World Organisation for Animal Health shares concerns about the use of sub-standard vaccines and urges the pork industry not to settle.

How will veterinary medicine evolve to harness the power of technology to make animal health and the wellbeing of veterinarians better? That was the question on many minds during the 21st Century Animal Health Symposium.

As the U.S. swine industry shifts toward improving gut health in newly weaned pigs to decrease mortality rates, a K-State student is studying ways to incorporate low acid binding ingredients into swine diets. 

What does veterinary care look like in the 21st Century? That question drove hours of conversation during the 21st Century Animal Health Symposium at the University of Illinois.

When the sows stopped eating, the farm manager closed the feed line, preserved the feed in the bin, and called Scott Dee out to the farm. Little did Dee know that he was about to discover PRRS virus can live in feed.

A new study provides valuable insights into the diagnosis and prevalence of porcine circovirus type 3 in reproductive failure and surveillance cases submitted to the ISU-VDL as well as the synergism of PCV3.

Supported by USDA grant, NC State College of Veterinary Medicine researchers are launching the largest study of its kind focusing on a likely culprit of the spread of PEDV: possibly contaminated vehicles.

What's TEROW and why does it matter to you? The Early Regional Occurrence Warning project represents additional infrastructure to respond to emerging diseases and highlights efforts towards preparedness,

For Anthony Novero, biosecurity has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. His dad managed a research sow farm in the 1980s, where showering in was a way of life before other farms adopted the practice. 

Uncomplicating disease surveillance is a great opportunity for the swine industry. That’s why Hope Dohlman analyzed the level of detection of PRRSV material in wean-age piglets through the use of an absorbent mat. 

Traceability is not a new concept, says National Pork Board chief veterinarian Dusty Oedekoven. He shares why its time for change, along with producers Joe Dykhuis and Alan Wulfekuhle and veterinarian Clayton Johnson. 

Cross-contamination between samples is one of the most common pre-analytical errors and can cause misleading diagnostic results, says Casondra Snow, a first year DVM student at the University of Minnesota. 

There is no one set of rules for establishing a routine health testing protocol for pig herds. Rather, a producer needs to review their individual needs and goals — and their budget — to create an achievable program.

The Swine Health Information Center is seeking input for its 2024 Plan of Work from swine industry stakeholders. The Plan of Work provides a roadmap while allowing SHIC to be nimble and responsive to emerging issues.

Sensitivity to post-weaning diarrhea is affected by physiological and metabolic changes of the gastrointestinal system that occur at weaning, leaving the newly weaned pig more vulnerable. Here's how nutrition can help.

TELSVirus has the potential to support real-time surveillance of endemic and emergent viruses, while improving understanding of co-circulating viruses, their genetic diversity and how they impact swine production.

Properly functioning ventilation systems are vital to pork production facilities, and following a regular process for maintaining their operation can pay big economic dividends. Now's a good time to get barns ready.

World-renowned experts in the swine industry challenged and led more than 800 people who attended the 2023 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minn. Here's a recap of the event.

Delegates voted on the first General Conference Committee that will serve as the federal advisory committee to USDA on swine health and the administration of US SHIP upon codification to a USDA program.

Experts are still trying to determine the origin of the African swine fever outbreak in Sweden, a minor pork exporter that holds only 1% of the swine herd in the European Union. 

How do pH levels affect E. coli growth? DVM student Carly Bates answered this question during the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. She was awarded the 2023 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize for her research.

American communities deserve ready access to veterinarians, say the supporters of the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act who are urging Congress to pass the act, ensuring healthy livestock and a safe, secure food supply.

It costs a lot of money. It takes a lot of work. And if you do it perfectly, the result isn’t even visible at first. It’s no wonder it’s hard to convince people to do the right thing and follow biosecurity protocols.

Purdue University is developing a field test that can measure and predict the spread of SARS-CoV-2 in a wide range of wildlife and farm animals thanks to $2.7 million in federal funding from USDA’s APHIS.

From PEDV to pork productivity in difficult times, the conversations that took place at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference covered a wide expanse of topics. Here are a few thoughts worth repeating. 

A newly funded study led by Kimberly VanderWaal aims to create an “integrative data science” platform to predict the ability of PRRSV-2 variants to provoke an immune response and spread across farms.

Although there is no shortage of topics the U.S. pork industry needs to wrap its head around right now, National Pork Producers Council CEO Bryan Humphreys says foreign animal disease continues to be a high priority.

SHIC’s research priority is to understand the potential breadth of tongue tips as a sample type for monitoring emerging diseases. Here's why.

Although mycotoxin monitoring makes headlines each harvest season, it should stay top of mind year-round. Active mycotoxin surveillance is key to protecting the health and productivity of your swine operation. 

Narrowly focusing on a single pathogen during a diagnostic investigation is risky, experts agreed during a porcine sapovirus webinar. A narrow focus could result in missed detections of emerging or less common pathogens.

Duke-NUS Medical School announced the discovery of several previously unknown strains of swine influenza viruses that have been circulating unnoticed in Cambodian pig populations over the past 15 years.

Where is the pork industry on its path to a PRRS-resistant pig? Matt Culbertson, chief operating officer at PIC, provides an update.

In 2014, biosecurity changed at Eichelberger Farms in Wayland, Iowa, when an ugly four-letter word rocked the U.S. pork industry: PEDV. 

Do you own and manage a small swine herd operation? Many things need addressed for the needs of the pigs as the weather gets colder. Here are a few tips to ensure optimal health, welfare and productivity.

Explosive numbers, deadly destruction, devastating economic impact. Is it possible to control the spiraling feral hog population in Texas? A new study shows a warfarin-based toxicant could help.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln professors will lead projects on viral diseases, antimicrobial resistance, farm sustainability and potential impact on human health through USDA grants totaling $2.48 million.

If you want to make change in the pork business, it has to be practical and executable, said Clayton Johnson, DVM, before a standing-room-only crowd at the 2023 Carthage Swine Conference.

Two University of Nebraska-Lincoln researchers will investigate the prevalant pathogen, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), supported by a three-year grant from USDA.

Here's a look at a new project focused on African swine fever vaccine development could help the global food supply.

Why do you need to understand the implications of porcine sapovirus? Find out more about this potentially emerging disease during the SHIC and AASV's next webinar.

Dr. Paul Sundberg, DVM, will retire from his role as executive director of the Swine Health Information Center at the end of 2023. The board announced his successor on Thursday.

"Basically, a pig has a 3-inch environmental vacuum on the front of his face. Anything in front of it is going down. A lot of that damage goes unseen by the public eye,” says William Futch in Feral Swine in America.

Studies suggest the U.S. could be a favorable area for the introduction of JEV. Past mosquito-borne flaviviruses illustrate the challenges a virus capable of affecting humans and pigs could pose in the U.S.

U.S. experts weigh in on the world's first commercial vaccines against African swine fever and the challenges that still exist.

Calling all aspiring pig enthusiasts and biosecurity buffs! Grab your camera and get ready to participate in USDA’s APHIS “I Protect Pigs” photo contest, showing how you protect your pigs from African swine fever! 

Here's a look at a recent report on the U.S. susceptibility to JEV related to the availability of competent mosquito vector species, susceptible maintenance avian hosts, as well as intensive travel and trade activities.