National Hog Farmer – Page 3 – Swine in Minnesota

Is PRRSV 1C.5 more airborne than other variants?

Picture of an industrial fan generated by AI — Photo by Layla, generated with AI

The rapid spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus variant 1C.5 (aka L1C 1-4-4) a few years ago prompted the question whether this newly identified PRRSV variant was more transmissible through the air than other endemic variants circulating at that time in pigs.

The Torremorell research lab, in collaboration with faculty in the Swine Group at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine and faculty in Mechanical Engineering sought to answer the question whether aerosolization of clinically relevant PRRS virus differs among variants and if so, are the differences due to the particle size, load and viability of virus-laden aerosols, and whether infected pigs with different clinical affectation differ in their ability to generate airborne viruses. To address this question, we systematically evaluated the stability of variants in experimentally generated aerosols and also compared levels and trends of virus-laden particles in aerosols collected from experimentally infected pigs.

Optimizing PRRSV detection

By Igor A.D. Paploski, Mariana Kikuti, Xiaomei Yue, Marcello Melini, Albert Canturri, Stephanie Rossow and Cesar A. Corzo, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus causes significant economic losses in the U.S. — approximately $1.2 billion annually — due to reproductive failure, abortion and high pre-weaning mortality among piglets. Thirty percent of the U.S. breeding herd experiences annual PRRSV outbreaks. A farm’s positive stable status is confirmed by sampling serum from piglets or using processing fluids.

PEDV: Sow herds are eliminating the virus faster

By Xiaomei Yue, Mariana Kikuti, Claudio Marcello Melini and Cesar A Corzo, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus was first detected in the United States during the spring of 2013. The initial epidemic spanned approximately 1.5 years, with the prevalence transitioning to endemic levels by the end of 2014 (Figure 1).

Understanding Mycoplasma hyosynoviae

By Maria Pieters and Haley Schwecke

The mention of Mycoplasma in pigs is generally related to respiratory disease, as problems such as enzootic pneumonia or the Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex can result after infection with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, which is a well-known bacterium that can be detected in swine worldwide. Only less frequently, one thinks about other Mycoplasma species that can affect swine health.

Yes, science should inform policy, but how?

By Kaitlyn St. Charles, Carol Cardona, Timothy Goldsmith, Cesar Corzo and Marie Culhane, University of Minnesota

Stop movement orders are a big deal for all production phases, particularly for live pigs, but also for semen movements from boar studs to breeding farms.

In the United States, animal agriculture is having to make tough decisions about the quickly spreading and far-reaching diseases caused by H5 2.3.4.4b influenza A virus (USDA 2024). There have been substantial organized efforts to control H5 2.3.4.4b IAV in domestic poultry, because it is the cause of highly pathogenic avian influenza with severe illness and high death loss in infected flocks. So, it should be no surprise that efforts need to be made to control virus spread in other species, including humans.