Our graduate students did a fantastic job at the 24th IPVS and we would like to congratulate them all for their hard work. Among them, Dr. Talita Resende won the IPVS award for best poster. Talita is a PhD candidate at the University of Minnesota under the supervision of Dr. Fabio Vannucci and she presented a poster on A novel diagnostic platform for in situ detection and subtyping of Rotaviruses and Influenza A in pigs.
Congratulations Talita!
Dr. Mike Murtaugh’s team just recently published a scientific article in Veterinary Microbiology assessing the difference in Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) prevalence in the US between 2006 and 2012. The conclusion of their study is that the widespread utilization of effective vaccines dramatically decreased the prevalence of the virus in American herds.
Abstract: Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), a small, single-stranded circular DNA virus and the causative agent of porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), was first observed in the mid-1990s in pigs with a post-weaning wasting disease. In 2006 the number of PCVAD cases greatly increased, marking it as an important viral pathogen for the United States (US) swine industry. PCV2 vaccines were introduced to the US in 2006 in response to widespread outbreaks of PCVAD. These vaccines were effective in preventing disease, but did not eliminate virus from the animals. In 2006, prior to vaccine use, a study of PCV2 prevalence in pig herds across the US was performed in conjunction with the US National Animal Health Monitoring System. In 2012, 6 years after widespread PCV2 vaccination, this study was repeated. Since the introduction of PCV2 vaccines in 2006, viral presence and viral loads have greatly decreased, and a genotypic shift dominated by PCV2b has occurred. Antibody levels have decreased in the pig population, but approximately 95% of sites continue to be antibody-positive. Widespread vaccination has controlled PCVAD and decreased PCV2 prevalence to the point that viremia is not detected on many sites. Thus, continued vaccination may lead to PCV2 elimination in the national herd over time.
Starting June 7th in Dublin, Ireland will be held the 24th International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) congress regrouping swine veterinarians from around the world exchanging and presenting the latest information relevant to the profession. Numerous members of the University of Minnesota swine group will be present and some of them have been chosen to present their work.
On Saturday, May 7th was held the graduation ceremony for the 2016 DVM students as well as for the graduate students enrolled in the VMED program.
Among them, the UMN swine group is happy to announce the graduation of Drs. Carmen Alonso, Nitipong Homwong, Catalina Picasso, and Jisun Sun.
Please join us in congratulating them for their academic success!
It is our distinct pleasure and a great honor to announce that Dr. Bob Morrison has been selected to be one of this year Masters of the Pork Industry. This title, delivered by the National Hog Farmer recognizes individuals who dedicated their careers to the advancement of pork production. As said by the magazine, those leaders are “professionals, entrepreneurs and family-based pork industry enthusiasts whose dedication and wisdom are sure to inspire young and old as they tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in an ever-changing global pork industry.”
Among all of the great work Dr. Morrison is doing with the industry, we will mention the Swine Health Monitoring Program (SHMP), a collaborative effort from 26 pork producers who voluntarily share their data about disease outbreaks they may be experiencing. While the program started with three pork producers focusing on Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, it has expended to almost 40% of the sows in the US and has included other pathogens like Seneca Valley virus.
Under Dr. Morrison’s leadership, the Allen D. Leman conference and its counterpart Leman China have been created. Those two conferences, which motto is “science-driven solutions” aim at providing the latest and the most relevant information in swine health and production to all of the industry players. The next conference will be held in St. Paul from September 17th to September 20th. More information can be found here.
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Morrison for this great accomplishment.
