SHIC Delivers to US Pork Producers During 2017

December 22, 2017 — Paul Sundberg

With more deliverables for the US swine industry than there were gifts beneath the tree, the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) focused on urgent return-on-investment projects to monitor, predict, prepare, and respond to emerging diseases in 2017. Developed around SHIC's key priorities, several new projects included in the organization's 2017 Plan of Work were completed for the benefit of the health of the US swine herd including a communications action plan, near real-time global and domestic disease monitoring systems, development of effective, efficient surveillance systems, Rapid Response Program, Corps, and Training, and much more.

Monitoring

• A novel database application of VDL swine test results, coming as a result of the SHIC-funded lab data standardization project, is being used as the foundation for the first, national and comprehensive domestic health reports for producers and veterinarians.
• A new, non-regulatory disease communications action plan details the communication tree when "Who do I call?" is asked in the event of a new, non-regulatory disease outbreak.
• Novel near real-time global surveillance system for international swine diseases delivers quality and timely information.
• Near real-time domestic swine disease monitoring system that is in development will generate information for farm-level economic and animal health decision making.
• Kansas State University researchers are investigating the use of dust samples to monitor for swine pathogens in US feed mills.
• SHIC monitoring of current US herd health led to a modified prioritization of viruses on the Swine Disease Matrix.
• SHIC co-sponsored a workshop that built on industry and government efforts to create a road map to improve our national swine disease surveillance.

Preparedness

• Research delivering antibody detection assays for monitoring for emerging diseases, determining freedom from disease, or defining the extent of disease spread was initiated and reflected on the 2017 Swine Disease Matrix.
• Information about diagnostic tests available for Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) and Chinese variant pseudorabies virus (PRV) was reviewed and updated.
• Senecavirus A (SVA) mimics diseases like Food and Mouth Disease. The SVA factsheet was updated and posted with the latest information about testing, disinfection, and transmission.
• SHIC-funded investigation showed the potential for viruses to survive and be transported in feed ingredients - both domestic and imported.
• Research began to test different feed additives to find ones effective in killing viruses that might survive and be transported in feed.
• Development of more efficient and cost-effective surveillance systems, with an emphasis on preparing the swine industry for detecting and eliminating emerging and/or foreign animal diseases, is underway.
• North American standard operating procedures for https://www.swinehealth.org/us-canada-biocontainment-project/ transportation related biosecurity and keeping pathogens from being brought back to the farm are being developed.
• Review of the market sow and secondary pig markets for better surveillance, biocontainment and other risk mitigation protocols in the future has been completed.
• SHIC, with AASV, asked USDA to pursue testing of porcine-derived trypsin after Senecavirus A contamination was reported. This request prompted USDA-CVB to review stock cultures and ask for modification of vaccine production to prevent introduction of pathogens through approved vaccines.

Response

• Anticipating another novel or transboundary disease will someday strike, SHIC created a Rapid Response Program with the ability to respond to an outbreak from a known or unknown etiology. A national Rapid Response Corps (RRC) is in place, with experts ready to conduct on-farm investigations during an outbreak.
• SHIC set aside funds to answer immediate producer questions and needs following introduction of emerging disease.
• SHIC coordinated, and co-funded with the National Pork Board, a USDA research project to validate commercial PCR test kits for FMD, CSF, and ASF to be able to use oral fluids for setting herd disease status during and after an outbreak.

Analysis

• SHIC supported completion of the VDL standardization project for reporting of swine testing results and their use to monitor swine diseases in the US.
• With SHIC support, the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project (MSHMP) currently monitors approximately 50 percent of the US sow herd for economically important pathogens with models under development for using the data to predict and guard against disease spread.

Emerging diseases remain the primary concern for SHIC. These include diseases being introduced into the US, such as Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PED) in 2013, or endemic diseases already present but changed in some manner with significant health and/or profitability impacts, such as Seneca Valley A which emerged in 2015.

Continuing to deliver relevant and useful tools, programs, and resources, SHIC's 2018 Plan of Work will be set by the organization's Board of Directors using input from the industry and appropriate follow-up to the 2017 Plan. The 2018 Plan of Work will be posted on the SHIC website in January.

Funded by America's pork producers to protect and enhance the health of the US swine herd, the Swine Health Information Center focuses its efforts on prevention, preparedness, and response. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research for the benefit of swine health. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. For more information, visit http://www.swinehealth.org or contact Dr. Paul Sundberg at psundberg@swinehealth.org.

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Paul Sundberg, Executive Director, Swine Health Information Center