In the press – Swine in Minnesota

For the good of pigs and people

For the average person, packages of pork products in the grocery store meat section represent ingredients for a meal.

For the Swine Disease Eradication Center (SDEC) at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), those products represent the culmination of years of productive partnerships between academia and the swine industry that have advanced research into eliminating deadly diseases that cost pork producers billions of dollars each year.

Rising Researcher: Marcello Melini studies viral interactions to improve swine farm biosecurity

For Marcello Melini, the role of a veterinarian doesn’t stop at the exam room door. It’s a charge that extends beyond the realm of animal health care and into human health as well.

When it came to a career path, swine health provided an opportunity for him to make an impact in areas benefiting both people and animals.

“For me, the swine field in veterinary medicine allows me to be involved in several of these areas and also provides an additional challenge, which is making the best decision for a herd based on the evidence of a few,” he says.

Strengthening the herd

The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is launching three high-impact research initiatives, supported by the National Pork Board, to tackle critical operational challenges across the swine industry—focusing on national biosecurity, viral disease control, and international benchmarking.

Together, these complementary projects address three of the most pressing challenges in modern pork production.

Vaccines developed with pig models hold the key to tackling the global threat of flu

As the world continues to grapple with evolving infectious diseases, scientists are increasingly turning to pigs in the fight against influenza.

A team of international researchers, including experts from the University of Minnesota, believes treatments and vaccines that prove effective in pigs are more likely to succeed in humans compared to those developed using traditional small-animal models.

2028 IPVS Congress location changing; Minneapolis will now host in 2030

The organizing committee for the 2028 International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) is postponing the organization of the event in Minneapolis. While Minneapolis was originally selected as the host city, the committee determined that shifting the U.S. hosting opportunity to 2030 would better accommodate the needs of all attendees.

The IPVS Board is working on securing a new host country for the 2028 event and will announce its selection at the upcoming 2026 Congress, set for June 16–19 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.