Dr. Cesar Corzo appointed as new Leman Chair in swine health and productivity

Cesar Corzo
Dr. Cesar Corzo, new Leman Chair

The University of Minnesota, College of Veterinary Medicine is happy to announce that Dr. Cesar Corzo has accepted an appointment to the Allen D. Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity effective October 2, 2017. The appointment is considered one of the most prestigious faculty positions in the world involving swine medicine. Corzo was selected following an international search.

Corzo has worked for Pig Improvement Company (PIC) since 2012, most recently as the manager of Latin America Health Assurance and Services Team. The focus of his recent work has been on the emergence of Senecavirus A in Colombia, investigating the likelihood of infection of breeding stock during transit, and strategies for monitoring PRRS and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae naïve populations of pigs with current serologic tests.

The Leman Chair appointment returns Corzo to the University where he earned his Ph.D. in 2012. He also holds a Master’s from the University of Guelph, and his DVM from La Salle University in Bogota, Colombia. His career also includes a three-year term with Elanco Animal Health.

In his new role, Corzo intends to focus on current industry challenges including personnel turnover and biosecurity compliance, control of endemic bacteria and optimization of antimicrobial usage.Corzo  will play a major role in the Swine Health Monitoring program.

The Leman Chair in Swine Health and Productivity was created in 1995 to honor the career of Allen D. Leman. Those appointed to the chair serve for five years and are expected to significantly influence the swine industry’s adaptation to change. The individual also is expected to act as a catalyst for innovation and change within the University of Minnesota swine faculty.

Best Practices to manage seasonal infertility

Summer is here and for swine producers, this can be the start of seasonal infertility which is characterized by decreased breeding and farrowing performances in swine usually occurring in late-summer and/or early fall. How can it be prevented?

Boyer NHF seasonal infertility 2017.gif

Dr. Perle Boyer from the University of Minnesota compiles in this month’s column for the National Hog Farmer the measures you can take to minimize seasonal effects on reproductive performances.

Seasonal infertility can affect both males and females. We tend to focus on the dam but boars should also be monitored during summer as the consequences of heat stress on semen quality can last up to several weeks in some cases.

Among the 5 tips in the list, keeping the pigs cool during the warmer month is certainly a priority. Remember that an adult neutral temperature is between 64F and 68F. Above that, heat stress can impair the animals’ performances. Additionally, making sure that the sows keep eating both during the lactation and during the days post-weaning has yield positive results for the following pregnancy.

Further advice can be found in the full article on seasonal infertility.

 

 

Clinical cases and problem-solving skills by DVM students: a new session at the Allen D. Leman swine conference

Veterinary student, did you shadow a swine practitioner this summer or were involved in an interesting clinical case investigation? Did you work on your veterinary skills by designing a differential diagnosis list or working on a treatment plan? Did you investigate a problem by analyzing production records? We want to hear about it!

Close up of microphone in concert hall or conference room

The Allen D. Leman Swine Conference is organizing a session for veterinary students to demonstrate their problem-solving skills through the presentation of a case or experience where students challenged their clinical training and problem-solving capabilities necessary for day-to-day practice. Creativity and originality in the support and delivery are encouraged. The session will take place on Sunday at the Allen D. Leman Swine Conference and will include presentations from 7 veterinary students. Students invited to present will receive a $1,000 stipend, free admission to the Leman Swine Conference, and a copy of the Diseases of Swine book (10th edition).

Submit your one page case/problem description (tests results and figures can be added in an appendix) to Dr. Perle Boyer, pboyer(at)umn.edu by August 15th at midnight and you will be notified by September 1st whether your presentation has been selected.

Both clinical cases or a production problems will be accepted for review.

Attending the Leman Conference is a great opportunity for veterinary students who want to network with industry leaders!

Any question? Feel free to contact us at pboyer(at)umn.edu! All the information can also be found on the University website.

2016 Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory Report: a new director, PRRS, PEDV, and Senecavirus

The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory’s mission is to protect and promote animal and human health through early detection and monitoring of animal diseases.
The 2016 report was published last month and we are compiling here the highlights related to swine. We can also read the full 2016 UMN VDL report.

  • In April 2016, the VDL welcomed its new director Dr. Jerry Torrison.
  • More than 50% of the procedures  in the VDL were related to the porcine species last year.
  • A new multiplex PCR test that combines Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv), Porcine Deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) and Transmissible Gastroenteritis Virus (TGEV) into one assay was implemented into the Molecular Diagnostic clinical testing schedule effective October 31st, 2016. The new assay provides clients with timely, quality results for all three viruses at the same time. The VDL ran 40,131 PEDv and PDCoV Multiplex Real Time PCR tests and 5,238 Triplex (PEDv/TGE/PDCoV) RT-PCR tests.
    Additionally, the Serology lab conducted intensive testing in collaboration with Zoetis for validation of PED antibody test kit which they are planning to release on the market soon.
  • Seneca Valley Virus PCR was validated and is part of routine testing. 3,205 Senecavirus A EZ Real time RT-PCR tests were run. An ELISA test for antibodies to Seneca Valley Virus in pigs is also available.
  • The IHC lab participated in the 2016 AAVLD/NVSL Program for Inter-laboratory Comparison, and scored 100% in its detection of Porcine Circovirus type 2 in the test samples provided.

Science Page: Detecting influenza virus with a portable device

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.

We are presenting today the work done in Dr. Cheeran’s lab on the detection of influenza virus in farms. The objective of their research project is to develop a portable diagnostic platform that is capable of performing on-site testing of influenza viruses in swine with minimum sample handling and laboratory skill requirements.

The device is using giant magnetoresistance (GMR) technology. In a nutshell, if influenza viruses are present in the sample, they will bind to sensors, cause a disruption in resistance, and create an electric signal in the device that will be able to wirelessly transmit the result to a smartphone or computer.

Key points from this week edition:

  • Portable, hand held device for detection of influenza A virus (IAV) based on giant magnetoresistance (GMR) biosensor has been developed.
  • Although in its developmental stage, if successful this test has the potential for rapid on-site testing of influenza viruses in swine.

The first sensitivity tests of the device look very promising!