January 2026 – Page 2 – Swine in Minnesota

Best of Leman 2025: Kimberly VanderWaal – The perfect storm: Converging factors that fuel PRRS epidemic waves

This is our most popular series on the blog. Once a month, we are sharing with you a presentation given at the Allen D. Leman swine conference, on topics that the swine group found interesting, innovative or that lead to great discussions.

You can find all of the presentations selected from previous conferences on the blog here.

This presentation was given by Kimberly VanderWaal of the University of Minnesota during the 2025 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference.

Assessment of the Relationship Between Bioexclusion Practices Applied in Wean-to-Harvest Sites and PRRS Outbreaks

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.

This week’s Science Page comes to us from researchers Mariah Musskopf, Tina Peterson, Isadora Machado, Thinh Tran Pham Tien, Elly Kirwa, Daniel Moraes, Guilherme Cezar, Mafalda Mil-Homens, Peng Li, Elisa De Conti, Ana Paula Poeta Silva, Derald J. Holtkamp, Daniel C.L. Linhares, and Gustavo S. Silva at Iowa State University.

How CVM researchers are tackling a devastating swine virus

Dr. Corzo presenting on a stage to a crowd — Cesar Corzo, director of the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Program, presents PRRSV research at a conference.

For decades, veterinarians and producers have struggled to contain porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV).

The highly pathogenic swine virus mutates rapidly, making control a moving target. Pigs infected with PRRSV suffer from high morbidity and mortality rates. Even those who live endure difficulty breathing, fever, and loss of appetite. Today, the disease affects as many as half of all swine breeding farms in the United States. It’s the most costly issue the swine industry faces.