May 2019 – Swine in Minnesota

What is Blockchain?

This week, Dr. Jennifer Van de Ligt and her team explain to us what blockchain is.

Key Points

Blockchain has potential to improve traceability and accountability across the feed supply chain
Blockchain allows parties to trade in the absence of a mediator or trusting relationship
Blockchain transactions are decentralized, immutable, consensus-validated, and secured

DVM students: we invite you to apply to the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize!

Veterinary students: Are you shadowing a swine practitioner this summer or have you been involved in an interesting clinical case investigation? Did you work on your veterinary skills by designing a differential diagnosis list or working on a treatment plan? Did you investigate a problem by analyzing production records? Share your work at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference to win the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize!

Attending the Leman Conference is a great opportunity for veterinary students who want to network with industry leaders. Submissions to enter in the selection to present at the DVM student session at the Leman Conference should be uploaded at z.umn.edu/MSIP by August 15th at the end of the day.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Perle Boyer at pboyer@umn.edu. For more information about the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize visit z.umn.edu/MSIP.

MSHMP PRRS Prevalence Chart Description

Today, the MSHMP team is explaining the interpretation of Chart 2 of their weekly report. If you missed Chart 1 last week, you may find it here.

Key points

The prevalence chart (Chart 2) describes the percentage of herds that are classified in a given status through time.
It allows eyeballing general trends although the growing nature of the project does not allow year to year comparisons without proper adjustment.
For PRRSv, there is a steady increase in the percentage of herds in status 1 in recent years. PRRSv

Dr. Matt Sturos wins new scholarship, re-ups on a fellowship

Matt Sturos, DVM, Dipl. ACVP, recently won the WTS Thorp Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $15,000 for the 2019–20 academic year. This scholarship supports and recognizes graduate students in veterinary diagnostic pathology. Thorp was director of the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in the mid 1950’s and the CVM’s dean from 1957–71.

Last year, Sturos was also the inaugural recipient of the Dr. James B. Moe and Janice M. Moe Fellowship, which recognizes a full-time PhD trainee in the field of comparative medicine, specifically related to infectious diseases or pathology. He has been awarded this fellowship once again for 2019–20. This recognition comes with a $1,000 award.

Sturos’ research interests are the transmission, pathogenesis, and prevention of important infectious food animal diseases. He is currently focusing on Senecavirus A in swine.

Abstract submission for the 2019 Allen D. Leman swine conference is open

Are you interested in sharing your research with the international swine research community? Submit your research abstract for presentation at the 2019 Allen D. Leman swine conference!