Review on the methodology to assess respiratory tract lesions in pigs and their production impact

This week, we are sharing a review article, a collaborative effort between numerous leaders in swine mycoplasmosis, including UMN Dr. Maria Pieters, regarding the methodology to assess respiratory tract lesions at the slaughter house, available in open access on the Veterinary Research website.

Commonly used methods to score cranioventral pulmonary consolidation in slaughter pigs
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The effect of gilt flow management during acclimation on Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae detection

Today, we are sharing a recent publication from the MycoLab investigating how two different gilt flow managements during acclimation impact Mycoplasma detection. The full publication is available on the journal’s website.

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Improving M. hyopneumoniae diagnostic capabilities by harnessing the infection dynamics

In this concise and straight-forward review for The Veterinary journal, Dr. Garcia-Morante in collaboration with the MycoLab at the UMN shares the latest knowledge around Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection and what the best practices for diagnosis are. The full article is available on the journal’s website.

Highlights

  • This review updates M. hyopneumoniae infection diagnosis and dynamics.
  • Understanding M. hyopneumoniae infection dynamics is critical for diagnosis.
  • Final diagnosis is based on clinical observations aligned with laboratory results.
  • Laboratory tests are useful for detection of asymptomatic carriers.
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Fellowship provides opportunity for swine researcher to take her work to a new level

This article was written by Brandi Rupard for the UMN CVM magazine, Profiles.

Dr. Alyssa Betlach

Many teenagers find themselves behind grocery checkouts and restaurant counters when it comes to taking on a part-time job in high school. Alyssa Betlach found herself working among 1,500 sows at a local swine farm near her hometown of Owatonna, MN. 

The sow farm became a very familiar place to Betlach, who continued working there throughout high school and into her undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota. The time she spent on the farm served as inspiration and preparation for her current career as a swine veterinarian and researcher. 

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Pinpointing pathogens, dead or alive: CVM graduate student designing better way to manage respiratory disease in swine

 This article was written by Kaitlin Sullivan for the UMN CVM magazine, Profiles.

Albert Canturri, PhD candidate in the MycoLab

Mycoplasmal pneumonia of swine (MPS) first appeared in pigs a century ago, when producers had a hunch that it wasn’t influenza that was taking their droves. Today, the disease is nearly endemic.

“It exists in just about any country where pigs are raised,” says Maria Pieters, DVM, PhD, director of the College of Veterinary Medicine’s (CVM) Swine Disease Eradication Center. 

When the minuscule bacteria, called Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, first enter a pig’s lungs, it can easily go undetected. But as the pig approaches the finishing stage, the bacteria cripples its respiratory system and stunts the swine’s growth. The infected pig takes longer to reach market size, elevating costs for producers. They also suffer, something veterinarians strive to eliminate. 

There’s a better way to manage the spread of the disease, and Albert Canturri, a PhD candidate in CVM, is designing it.

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