In the press – Swine in Minnesota

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.

First time win: A University of Minnesota student takes the Morrison Swine Innovator Prize

*2025 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize winner Kaydance Hinn (right) and Dr. Perle Zhitnitskiy, CVM professor and coordinator of the competition.*

St. Paul, Minn.—Kaydance Hinn, a first-year student at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, received the 2025 Morrison Swine Innovator Prize, an award given to veterinary students who want to make a difference in swine health and production.

University of Minnesota Swine Group in the Press

The Swine Group here at the University has been featured in a number of publications this and last month! Here are a few in case you missed them!

This made me consider the swine industry

“This made me consider the swine industry”: How Pork Prospect, an experiential learning initiative for undergraduate students developed by The Ohio State University and the University of Minnesota, is inspiring the next generation of swine professionals.

By Pork Prospect team, The Ohio State University and University of Minnesota

In the world of agriculture education, few moments are more powerful than when a student sees a pig – really sees it – for the first time. Not just as an animal or as a future product; rather, as a symbol of an entire industry, a living link to a professional future they had never considered, until that moment.

North Star and Lone Star states get together on livestock biosecurity

This article was written by Catherine Dehdashti and originally published in the University of Minnesota Extension's Magazine Source. Since this piece has been written, the first case of H5N1 influenza has been reported in a non-commercial pig in Oregon. Read Dr. Marie Culhane's comments in this article.

Like Minnesota, the state of Texas is strong in livestock. But Minnesota, including University of Minnesota Extension’s livestock team, has long led in research and education on preventing the spread of disease among farms, especially since the 2015 outbreak of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza and the 2024 spread of avian influenza into dairy cows.