umn – Swine in Minnesota

What you need to know about pseudorabies

By the University of Minnesota Swine Group

The reporting on April 30, 2026 of pigs positive to pseudorabies in Iowa and Texas is a good reminder that we cannot be complacent when it comes to infectious diseases.

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) causes a devastating clinical picture resembling rabies in young pigs, thus the name. This disease, also known as Aujeszky’s disease, is most severe in piglets, causing high mortality as well as tremors, seizures, paralysis, incoordination and “dog-sitting” signs. As they get older, infected pigs experience respiratory disease with fever, coughing, and pneumonia. In sows, PRV causes abortions and stillbirths and in boars the virus can be shed in semen. PRV transmits primarily by direct contact with secretions of infected pigs but other routes such as exposure to contaminated fomites or aerosols can lead to infection.

Phylogenetic Lineages of Canadian PRRSV-2 Reveal Transboundary Spread and Two Novel Sub-Lineages

Today we are sharing a recent publication from the VanderWaal lab looking at PRRSV sequences from Canada. The full publication is available in open access on the journal Pathogens’ website.

Best of Leman: Mark Schwartz – Airborne biosecurity: Comparison of air filtration and an electrostatic precipitator technology

This is our most popular series on the blog. Once a month, we are sharing with you a presentation given at the Allen D. Leman swine conference, on topics that the swine group found interesting, innovative or that lead to great discussions.

Want more? Find previous presentations in our Best of Leman archives.

This presentation was given by Mark Schwartz of the University of Minnesota and Schwartz Farms during the 2025 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference.

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.

Swine & U: Springtime manure application is just around the corner

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator for The LAND

Maybe your manure plan involves fall application, but as the soils thaw and the tiles begin to run, it’s a good idea to review a few environmental protection habits which will help keep nutrients where they belong.

University of Minnesota Extension provides good resources for nutrient application calculation and groundwater and shoreland protection at its manure management website. Extension manure management specialist, Melissa Wilson, and manure management crops educator Chryseis Modderman provide the latest best management practices for manure application in our Land of Ten Thousand Lakes and Nine Million Pigs.