I’m a procrastinator. I have often thought it should be my New Year’s resolution to be more timely but I never seem to get around to actually making a resolution. So, after significant thought and liquid mental libation, I have redesigned the annual calendar to better accommodate occupational deadlines. Below is an example of a typical month. The first thing you’ll notice is that I have eliminated Mondays. Everyone hates Mondays anyway so why even have them (especially as the first day of the work week – bad idea). I’ve replaced Mondays with an additional Friday. Everyone loves Friday, why not start the work week off on a positive note? As you can see, I’ve also eliminated the first of the month. Too many things are due on the first of the month or, if you’re already past due from the previous month, expectations are way too high for actually producing anything of value by the first of the following month. It always seems that everything is due yesterday. So, with this calendar, it is now possible to have a deadline of the 6th for example and actually receive the article on the 2nd – four days AHEAD of schedule! Wouldn’t that be great? I’ve re-named “Wednesday” as “Hump Day”. It’s just cuter and everyone calls it that anyway. How many times have you heard “where did the time go?” I believe this phenomenon is a direct result of short months like February. If you’re trying to meet a deadline, you need MORE days in the month not LESS. So, every month in this calendar has 31 days. Since every month also now begins on a Friday, this calendar rewards workers with 3 additional “free” days at the end of the month to revel in the fact that they got their work done on time (often ahead of schedule). I’m also adding an additional week to the annual calendar. This week can be used during any month of the year at the discretion of the worker. This week is referred to as “Next Week” as in “I’ll have that article to you Next Week.” Finally, this calendar doesn’t bother to show weekends. Let’s face it, who’s going to work on their days off to meet some arbitrary deadline set by someone in Corporate who doesn’t even understand the amount of stress you’re under to begin with? FRIDAY TUESDAY HUMP DAY THURSDAY FRIDAY6 5 4 3 213 12 11 10 920 19 18 17 1627 26 25 24 2331 30
Monthly Archives: December 2017
Testing for Senecavirus A in Biological Products
At the 2017 annual meeting of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV), a biologics company reported SVA contamination in two lots of porcine-derived trypsin. The identification was made by whole genome sequencing and virus isolation. The finding raised concerns with pork industry representatives regarding the possibility of SVA contamination in veterinary biological products, including those already licensed and in commerce. In response, the Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) immediately initiated testing vaccine samples available in the CVB repository that were known to be manufactured using porcine-derived ingredients. The repository contains samples of all vaccines on the market that have current expiration dates. [Source: USDA CVB, December 22, 2017]
Longitudinal Surveillance of Porcine Rotavirus B Strains from the United States and Canada and In Silico Identification of Antigenically Important Sites
Rotavirus B (RVB) is an important swine pathogen, but control and prevention strategies are limited without an available vaccine. To develop a subunit RVB vaccine with maximal effect, we characterized the amino acid sequence variability and predicted antigenicity of RVB viral protein 7 (VP7), a major neutralizing antibody target, from clinically infected pigs in the United States and Canada. We identified genotype-specific antigenic sites that may be antibody neutralization targets. While some antigenic sites had high amino acid functional group diversity, nine antigenic sites were completely conserved. Analysis of nucleotide substitution rates at amino acid sites (dN/dS) suggested that negative selection appeared to be playing a larger role in the evolution of the identified antigenic sites when compared to positive selection, and was identified in six of the nine conserved antigenic sites. These results identified important characteristics of RVB VP7 variability and evolution and suggest antigenic residues on RVB VP7 that are negatively selected and highly conserved may be good candidate regions to include in a subunit vaccine design due to their tendency to remain stable. Frances K. Shepherd, Fangzhou Chen, Marie R. Culhane, Michael P. Murtaugh and Douglas G. Marthaler; Longitudinal Surveillance of Porcine Rotavirus B Strains from the United States and Canada and In Silico Identification of Antigenically Important Sites; Pathogens 2017, 6(4), 64; doi: 10.3390/pathogens6040064
Environmental Dissemination of Multidrug Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus sciuri After Application of Manure from Commercial Swine Production Systems
The deposition of manure originating from food animal farms in the environment can lead to the dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) bacterial foodborne pathogens, thereby potentially impacting human health. The objective of our study was to determine the dissemination of multidrug methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus sciuri (MDR-MRSS) in the environment after land application of manure on commercial swine farms. A total of 400 environmental samples (40 manure and 360 soil) were collected after repeated sampling from four commercial swine farms located in North Carolina (n = 1) and Iowa (n = 3) in the United States. At each farm, we collected 10 manure and 40 soil samples (20 samples before and after 2 h of manure application) from four plots (five soil samples/plot) on day 0. Subsequently, 20 soil samples were collected on day 7, 14, and 21 from the same plots. A total of 67 (16.75%) MRSS were isolated from the 400 samples. The prevalence in soil and manure was 13.33% (48/360) and 47.5% (19/40), respectively. Prevalence was highest in the soil samples collected after 2 h of manure application on day 0 and decreased subsequently on 7, 14, and 21 days. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done against a panel of 12 antibiotics. A majority of S. sciuri isolates exhibited resistance against ampicillin (AMP; 95.5%), penicillin (PEN; 95.5%), clindamycin (CLI; 95.5%), cefoxitin (FOX; 92.5%), ceftiofur (XNL; 92.5%), tetracycline (TET; 86.56%), and erythromycin (ERY; 50.74%). The MDR pattern AMP FOX CLI PEN TET XNL (n = 24; 35.8%) was the most commonly observed. We detected multiple AMR genes, including mecA, aac(6′), Ie-aph(2″)Ia, tetM, tetK, mphC, ermA, ermB, and ermC. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis clustered isolates from different sample collection days from the same farm into one group. Overall, our study identifies swine manure as an important reservoir of MDR-MRSS and highlights its dissemination in the environment upon spreading of manure. Kumar D, Pornsukarom S, Sivaraman GK, Thakur S; Environmental Dissemination of Multidrug Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus sciuri After Application of Manure from Commercial Swine Production Systems; Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2017 Dec 21. doi: 10.1089/fpd.2017.2354. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29266969 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2017.2354 10.1089/fpd.2017.2354
APRIL in December Call for New Scientists and New Science
Australasian Pork Research Institute Limited (APRIL) today made its first call for research proposals to markedly enhance the competiveness and sustainability of the Australasian pork industry.
It’s Time to Register for the 2018 AASV Annual Meeting
We hope you’ve already made your lodging arrangements for the AASV 2018 Annual Meeting – now it’s time to register for the conference itself! Online registration has just opened for the meeting, to be held March 3-6 in San Diego, California, where presentations will address the theme, “Global Knowledge: Individual Application.” Conference details, including registration, lodging, and the scientific program are available at www.aasv.org/annmtg. It pays to register early – after February 9, the member registration rate takes a BIG jump. Plus, after February 19, registration will close entirely until on-site registration opens in San Diego on March 3. Printed registration materials are being mailed to all AASV members, and should arrive in most members’ mailboxes within the next couple of weeks (they’re included with JSHAP for international and student members who receive mailed journals). See you in San Diego!
End of Year Giving? Consider the AASV Foundation
As you consider options for year-end giving, keep the AASV Foundation in mind. The AASV Foundation is striving to increase its endowment (the funds invested to provide a perpetual source of funding) to $2 million by AASV’s 50th anniversary in order to improve its long-term effectiveness in fulfilling its mission. The AASV Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and contributions are tax deductible. The Leman, Heritage, and Legacy programs form a trio of options for supporting the foundation at a variety of giving levels, enabling swine veterinarians at every stage of their careers to contribute to the foundation’s success.
Holiday Office Hours
In observance of New Year’s, the AASV office will close at noon on December 29 and reopen January 2 (not the 23rd as reported last week. Tom says Sue and I have to be back at work on the 2nd. Task master.). Happy New Year from all of us at AASV!
PIC Swine Veterinary Externship Program
PIC North America offers a limited number of two-week externships based in Hendersonville, TN, for veterinary students committed to swine production medicine. Current third year students are encouraged to apply. Applications for July 2018-June 2019 are being accepted through January 31, 2018. The objective of the program is to expose proactive swine veterinary students to a pioneering genetics company with a focus on the role of the swine veterinarian in a high health breeding stock multiplication system.
Zoetis Swine Veterinary Internship Program
The Zoetis Swine Veterinary Internship Program (SVIP) offers short-term, field-based learning opportunities to several veterinary students each summer. The program offers hands-on learning in swine production medicine and provides networking opportunities as interns work with future colleagues/swine veterinarians as part of the program. Each intern will lead an original summer research project in collaboration with Zoetis Technical Services veterinarians and swine veterinarian mentors. Upon completion of the internship, veterinary student interns are expected to submit an abstract based on their original summer research project for the student presentation session at the upcoming AASV Annual Meeting.