December 2019 – Page 2 – Swine in Minnesota

PRRSv ORF5 difference from VR2332 by herd type

This week, the MSHMP team assessed differences in ORF5 sequences compared to VR2332 based on the type of farm, the sequence was collected at.

Key points

Breeding herd sequences differ 8%-16% while in other herd types they differ 1%-15% from VR2332 at the ORF5 level.
The larger nucleotide identity (%) range compared to VR2332 in growing pigs suggests a higher viral diversity within this group.

Survival analysis of two Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae eradication methods

In this new article published in the Preventative Veterinary Medicine journal, Dr. Paul Yeske from Swine Vet Center in collaboration with Dr. Maria Pieters from the University of Minnesota share a survival analysis of two different eradication methods for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in farrow-to-wean farms.

Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus associated with sudden death of swine in North America

This week, Dr. Matheus Costa from the University of Minnesota in collaboration with Dr. Brad Lage from Maple Leaf Agri-Farms share a case of sudden death due to Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus.

Key Points

Historically described as a commensal of the swine upper-respiratory tract, Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus was only reported previously in Asia as an important swine pathogen.
Here we report the isolation and whole genome characterization of Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus associated with a sudden death outbreak in pigs in North America.

Creating measurable, practice-relevant day-1 competencies for swine veterinary education

In this open-access publication in the Education in the Health Professions journal, Dr. Perle Zhitnitskiy and faculty from the University of Minnesota describe their process to create day-1 competencies for veterinary graduates interested in swine practice.

Key points

The University of Minnesota collaborated with swine practitioners, faculty from other Universities and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to develop relevant day-1 competencies.
Three levels of expertise were defined: basic, intermediate and defined.
109 competencies were developed in nine domains: pig handling, swine husbandry, sample collection, record keeping, treatment and prevention, biosecurity, communication and regulatory.