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SHIC Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Results Presented at NAPRRS/NC229 Conference

December 20, 2023 — Paul Sundberg

During the 2023 NAPRRS/NC229 International Conference of Swine Viral Diseases (ICSVD), the Swine Health Information Center hosted a special session, "Biosecurity in the US Swine Industry." SHIC invited four principal investigators in its Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program, that is cooperatively funded with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and Pork Checkoff, to speak about their bioexclusion, biocontainment and transport biosecurity research results.

SHIC's Wean-to-Harvest Biosecurity Research Program has funded 16 research projects to date with a focus on addressing biosecurity gaps in the US swine herd. Launched in fall 2022, the Program maintains the goal of investigating cost-effective, innovative technologies, protocols, or ideas to enhance biosecurity during the wean-to-harvest phases of swine production for the benefit of pork producers.

Presenters during SHIC's special session at the NAPRRS/NC229 ICSVD were:

  • Swine Disease Monitoring and the Need for Enhanced Wean-To-Harvest Biosecurity - Megan Niederwerder, Swine Health Information Center
  • Development and Evaluation of an Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) prototype to Mitigate Airborne Spread of Pathogens Under Farm Conditions - Montserrat Torremorell, University of Minnesota
  • Rerouting Between-farm Transportation Vehicle Movements to Minimize the Dissemination of Endemic and Emerging Diseases in North America - Gustavo Machado, North Carolina State University
  • Ensuring Site and Transportation Biosecurity Using Bioluminescence - Dustin Boler, Carthage Veterinary Service, Ltd.
  • Industry-wide Assessment of Bioexclusion Practices in Wean-To-Harvest Sites, and Development and Validation of a Rapid Risk Assessment Bioexclusion Tool - Gustavo Silva, Iowa State University

NAPRRS/NC229 ICSVD was first held in 2003. The event brings together swine industry researchers, professionals, and field practitioners. Though inspired by PRRS-related concerns, the conference has expanded to include emerging and transboundary swine disease topics. This year's conference was held November 30-December 2 in Chicago.

The Swine Health Information Center, launched in 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the U.S. swine herd by minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data, and targeted research investments. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. For more information, visit https://www.swinehealth.org/ or contact Dr. Paul Sundberg at psundberg@swinehealth.org or Dr. Megan Niederwerder at mniederwerder@swinehealth.org.

Paul Sundberg, Executive Director, Swine Health Information Center