Veterinarians are taught that when we hear hoofbeats, think of horses, not zebras. This is sage advice to help maintain a diagnostic process based on probabilities. If I come across a nursery pig that has died suddenly with organs that have tiny hemorrhages and slightly enlarged lymph nodes, I will request tests to confirm a […] Read more
Tag Archives Swine
Three-in-one vaccine difficult to accomplish
DES MOINES, Iowa — It might sound easy to take three vaccines, mix them up and stick them in a bottle. It’s anything but in the real world of scientific limitations, commercial management and regulatory requirements. That daunting combination was on display when Merck Animal Health unveiled its Circumvent CML vaccine. Multiple studies examining the […] Read more
African swine fever found in Dominican Republic
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — African swine fever has reached the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday that the deadly hog virus was found in samples from pigs in the Dominican Republic, fuelling concerns about the disease creeping closer to the North American mainland. The news prompted the Canada Border Services Agency to […] Read more
Swine nutrition experiences decade of advances
Changes in swine nutrition over the past two decades have been sweeping, and the namesake for the London Swine Conference’s new CFM de Lange Lecture in Pig Nutrition played a pivotal role. “Kees (de Lange) was certainly a pillar in the swine nutrition community,” Mike Tokach, a Kansas State University animal sciences and industry professor, […] Read more
PED impact in U.S. less than expected
Hog herd dips slightly | The USDA’s Hogs and Pigs report shows only a 2.7 percent drop in numbers from last year
Porcine epidemic diarrhea is still out there and likely to stage a comeback, but it probably won’t have the shock factor of its initial outbreak, says a leading hog market analyst. “I think this winter we’re going to lose fewer pigs to PED than we did a year ago,” said Ron Plain of the University […] Read more
Sask. trucker taking steps to minimize PED threat
High standards for biosecurity | Kyle Favel says all of his trucks are washed twice, treated with a heated drying system and tested
DES MOINES, Iowa — Meet the guy who’s doing everything right: Kyle Favel. And it’s not him saying that. Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus experts told their audiences at the recent World Pork Expo that truckers who haul breeding stock and sows should wash, disinfect and dry their trailers between every load. That’s what happens at […] Read more
PED demands strict biosecurity
Reducing traffic | Veterinarian optimistic spread of deadly virus can be contained
Pork producers should try to envision their entire barn and its contents covered in red paint. Then they should figure out how to keep that paint from touching anything else. It’s a good way to consider biosecurity measures that can keep porcine epidemic diarrhea from entering hog operations and infecting pigs, said swine veterinarian Dr. […] Read more
Pork virus vaccine proving ineffective
Virus management Long-living virus poses unique challenges for swine researchers and producers
A vaccine developed to fight porcine epidemic diarrhea is ineffective in protecting piglets, says a swine veterinarian. Dr. Egan Brockhoff of Prairie Swine Health Services told a Feb. 19 meeting of hog producers in Lethbridge that a vaccine developed in the United States by Harrisvaccines may reduce viral shedding but will not keep the disease […] Read more
Hog producers reduce farrowing
USDA Hogs and Pigs report | Pork prices are high but high feed costs are eating profits
Hog farmers are doing what they can to align themselves with the markets, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s most recent quarterly Hogs and Pigs report. However, expensive feedgrains will likely delay a return to profitability until late next spring. The report released Sept. 28 showed American farmers cutting back on breeding for the […] Read moreRise in swine dysentery prompts biosecurity reminder
The re-emergence of swine dysentery in Western Canada has officials reminding producers about the importance of biosecurity. The disease was first discovered in the 1970s, but incidents have been rare on the Prairies since the mid-1990s. However, there have been 25 cases in Saskatchewan and Alberta since 2009, said John Harding of the University of […] Read more
