This is our Friday rubric: every week a new Science Page from the Bob Morrison’s Swine Health Monitoring Project. The previous editions of the science page are available on our website.
The project runs from July 1st to June 30th so the year 2016-2017 just ended. Below are listed the main point for this year, more details can be found in the full report.
This year the Swine Health Monitoring Project was struck by the sudden and unexpected loss of Bob Morrison in a car accident in Prague. This was a major setback for the group and is a difficult challenge to overcome. However, we received the support of the industry to continue carrying on Bob’s legacy. Since last May the SHMP was renamed after him to Dr. Morrison’s SHMP (MSHMP).
Key points from this week edition:
- Monitoring pathogens
- PRRS incidence (26%) remained stable over the last 2 years.
- PEDv incidence remained low (7%), at the same level as last year.
- Seneca Valley virus incidence appears to have a seasonal pattern.
- Monitoring of VDL atypical CNS cases has been restarted.
- Analyzing PRRS virus sequences
- It appears that there are several characteristic features that would signal emerging PRRSv strains, which may be used for early detection of significant emerging events.
- Analyzed sequences coming from 3 systems to detect new emerging strains on a monthly basis.
- Capturing movement data and incorporating into data management capacity
- Developed an app to capture truck movement.
- Tested a first version of the app.
- A second improved version will be tested shortly.
- Expanding enrollment
- Added 4 production companies.
- Currently 33 systems with 1,092 sow farms & 2.96 million sows.
- 161 non participants receive weekly report.