The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

PRRS is a disease that poses a significant challenge to the swine industry in the US. In that sense, on-farm decisions often rely on the accuracy of the final PCR testing results, making it crucial to obtain precise outcomes: the high demand for accurate PRRS diagnostic tests underscores the need for continuous advancements in diagnostic technology. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Berenice Mungui...

During the first part of this discussion, in the previous episode, Dr. Jianqiang Zhang talked about the different success rates of virus isolation when it comes to MARC-145 and ZMAC Cell Lines. In today’s episode, he discusses how often we may find unexpected viruses in clinical samples for virus isolation. This research is crucial for diagnostics, vaccine production and thus, the control of PRRS...

The Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is a significant threat the swine industry currently faces. Therefore, ongoing efforts to improve our understanding of the disease and develop effective prevention and control strategies are critical to ensure the future of the sector. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jianqiang Zhang about studies isolating PRRS viruses and the difference be...

Porcine Circovirus Type 2 (PCV2) is a major cause of disease in pigs, particularly grower-finisher pigs in the US. Currently, the situation of PCV2 in the country is of continued monitoring and management, because despite efforts to control the spread of the virus, it continues to pose a significant challenge to the American pork industry. It is with that in mind that I talk with Dr. Pablo Piñeyro...

It is a fact that pigs can experience pain. Therefore, it is also a fact that ensuring they are not suffering is crucial. In that sense, the study of pain management in pigs can help identify and develop effective techniques that benefit the pig industry. However, it is essential to bear in mind that pain is subjective and can be challenging to measure in animals, so developing effective methods o...

How does one start and manage a licensed vaccine technology company? In this episode, I talk with Dr. Alan Young, the founder and chief science officer of Medgene Labs, about his background and experience with comparative immunology and the development of the company's vaccine technology. He also discusses the necessity of providing practical solutions for producers and animal industries by ap...

There are a lot of details and inner workings in a swine research facility, especially when it comes to running it at a commercial level and dealing with customers who expect top-notch, quality trials. In this episode, which is the first part of a two-episode series, I talk with Dr. Dustin Boler about some of those details and what it takes to effectively and efficiently produce reliable results i...

As the use of antibiotics declines and public pressure for the elimination of pharmacological levels of zinc in swine diets increases, the industry finds itself in dire need of more methods for reducing the incidence of viral and bacterial infections in pigs. In today’s episode, Dr. Elisa Crisci shares her work about a new class of biological compounds which is derived from the blood platelets of...

There are a lot of details and inner workings in a swine research facility, especially when it comes to running it at a commercial level and dealing with customers who expect top-notch, quality trials. In this episode, which is the first part of a two-episode series, I talk with Dr. Dustin Boler about some of those details and what it takes to effectively and efficiently produce reliable results i...

Nowadays, using animals as models for human biomedical research is an important part of scientific studies. In particular, pigs share a lot of gastrointestinal, anatomical, and pathophysiological similarities with humans, which means there is a lot we can learn from conducting research trials in swine that are not possible to be performed in humans. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Elisa Crisci ab...

One of the most difficult and unfortunate things in pig production is having to accept that pain is a reality when we are talking about certain practices. That is why, as responsible pig producers, we need to find ways to mitigate that pain as much as possible. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Monique Pairis-Garcia, whose research focuses on pain management. Together, we discuss how to manage pain...

To have efficient biosecurity and good health on your pig farm, you need to start at the beginning: making sure your facility is as clean as possible when the pigs move in. However, it may not be as simple as it sounds – after all, proper cleaning and disinfection of a pig barn takes time and attention to details. In today’s episode, I talk with Aaron Juergens about some tips and tricks to make su...

Whole genome PRRSv sequencing is a topic that has already been discussed in more detail in some earlier episodes, with Dr. Linhares and Dr. Trevisan. But regardless of how important it is, its applicability at a university, inside a lab, may be different than its use for producers. So how does this method apply to vets working on a farm? In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Joel Sparks about his ex...

There has lately been an increased prevalence of a new salmonella serotype in the US. This monophasic serotype is one of the most prevalent and can be a concern for producers if pigs become infected. In today's episode, I talk with Dr. Fernando Leite about his work with a vaccine for this serotype and why the effects of this bacteria can be detrimental to producers. In his role as Technical Ma...

The swine industry is constantly evolving and if it wants to stay profitable, we need to learn how to best utilize the latest developments in technology to increase revenue and sustainability. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Madonna Benjamin about her research utilizing pose estimation technology to be able to predict movement and identify lameness and body condition issues in sows. Madonna Benja...

As we all know, pigs, just like humans, are susceptible to stress. Too much stress on a pig can cause it to grow poorly and have more health complications. In today’s episode, I talk with Andrea Lutman about her work measuring stress factors in piglets at weaning, and working to define resilience in pig populations. Andrea Luttman is a 4th year Ph. D. candidate and USDA NIFA pre-doctoral fellow in...

As the old saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry. That applies to ASF spread in the US too. Being prepared for ASF introduction and having the best possible plan in place to eliminate its spread is critical for our swine infrastructure. Hopefully we can do a better job at controlling it than we did with Covid-19. In this episode, I talk with Abby Sykes about her work creating an ASF tran...

All of us have worked with people, so we know that not one person is the same as another. Each individual learns and implements their skills differently in their career – and workers in the swine industry are no exception. In today’s episode, I talk with Dr. Sarah Probst Miller about her work as a veterinarian and her usage of her “See it. Do it. Teach it.” concept to further on-farm training and...

Lawsonia intracellularis can have a significant impact on the capabilities of the small intestine of pigs. This can cause a wide range of effects, from weakened immunological function to reduced nutrient absorption and slowed growth. In this episode, Dr. Emma Helm explains her research study, which had the intention of explaining some of the physiological changes in the small intestine of swine th...

Biosecurity is getting more and more advanced every year. Today, we are beginning to see how technology and cooperation can be combined to improve biosecurity across the world and help minimize the spread of disease amongst swine operations. In this episode, I talk to Dr. Gustavo Machado about his work with the RAB app, in collaboration with SHIP, to create a rapid response web app to standardize...

Streptococcus suis is present in almost all pigs and is considered endemic in all countries with an extensive swine industry. However, not all forms of Streptococcus suis in pigs are inherently pathogenic. In today’s episode with Dr. Jessica Santos-Streauslin, we talk about her work studying Streptococcus suis as well as identifying what new work needs to be completed to develop a commercially ava...

What causes ear tip necrosis in pigs? For years the answers have varied widely from genetics to mycotoxins as well as many other hypotheses. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Matheus Costa about his research determining the causative agent for ear tip necrosis. Several past hypotheses have been ruled out, and a breakthrough discovery may be here very soon… Meet the guest: Dr. Matheus Costa is a vet...

With ASF so close to our borders, we need to make sure we are prepared for if it spreads to the U.S. because if it crosses our borders, we need to act fast. One of the main factors contributing to the success of containment is speed, so identifying its presence on your farm must be quick. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Rachel Schambow about her work on new enhanced passive surveillance protocols...

Having effective biosecurity protocols is critical, especially with ASF not too far away from our borders. While they may be commonly found on large scale facilities, many small farmers may not have many practices in place. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Andréia Arruda about some of the work she has been doing teaching proper biosecurity practices to producers, show pig breeders, and even childr...

Lawsonia intracellularis , the bacteria that causes ileitis, leads to poor animal performance through poor feed conversion, and even mortality for pigs. That’s why it is a major concern for many pig producers across the globe. Therefore, it's essential to understand how sows contribute to maintaining Lawsonia in the farms. How does it happen? When does it happen? And how can we control the sit...