News – Swine in Minnesota

Stopping the next outbreak: Identifying airborne swine viruses

A single particle of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is about 1,000 times smaller than the width of a strand of hair. It’s easy for the microscopic germs to move undetected through vast amounts of air, meaning costly viruses that infect swine are exceedingly difficult to detect.

PRRSV alone costs United States producers around $1.2 billion every year. Several swine diseases—including the influenza virus—can also transmit to humans.

Less Invasive Sampling Methods for PRRSV Detection in Exposed Gilts

Today, we are sharing a very recent publication from Dr. Mariana Kikuti in collaboration with the MSHMP team. Their project looked at the sensitivity of blood-soaked filter papers, blood-soaked swabs, oral swabs and tonsil oral scrubbings when compared to serum samples to detect PRRSV. The full manuscript is available in open-access on the journal’s website.

Immune Response of Pigs Vaccinated Against Proliferative Enteropathy and Co-Infected with Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae

Today, we are sharing a recent publication from Dr. Vannucci lab in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. This project evaluated the pig’s response to a co-infection with Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira hyodysenteriae after receiving an ileitis vaccine. The full manuscript is available in open access on the journal website.

Viva Las Vegas! UMN well-represented at the 2026 AASV annual meeting

The University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine’s swine group was well represented at the 2026 AASV Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, with students, faculty, and alumni coming together to celebrate accomplishments, reconnect, and represent the program with distinction.

Size distribution and viral RNA load of influenza virus-laden airborne particles emitted from pigs over the course of an H1N1 infection

This recent article published in Nature Scientific reports by the Torremorell lab describes the size of particles shedding by pigs experimentally infected by H1N1 influenza A virus, as well as their associated viral load.