Tyson Foods Inc, the world’s largest protein producer and the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, is looking for a candidate to manage our Pork Group Technical Services Department. This position will lead and direct The Pork Group (TPG) Technical Services Team to achieve cutting-edge solution alternatives in areas as established with VP Live Hogs and other TPG Directors aligned with TPG metrics and Tyson’s core values and cultural tenets.
Monthly Archives: December 2019
Position Announcement: Director of Swine Health Services (Vet II)
Tyson Foods Inc, the world’s largest protein producer and the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, is looking for a candidate to join our Pork Group Technical Services Department. This position will lead our veterinary services team and is responsible for all herd health programs, pathogen control and management, biosecurity risk analyses, and focusing on sow and grow/finish system improvements related to health, performance, and cost of production for the entire Tyson Live Swine system. This veterinarian will also oversee the field veterinary team of both Tyson employed and consulting veterinarians and be part of our senior leadership team. Responsibilities include but are not limited to farm visits in each regional location where Tyson swine are raised, strategic planning with the leadership team in Northwest Arkansas and ongoing program evaluation and improvement with existing veterinary team.
Position Announcement: Swine Veterinarian (Vet I)
Tyson Foods Inc, the world’s largest protein producer and the second-largest food production company in the Fortune 500, is looking for a Veterinarian to join our Pork Group Technical Services team. This position is responsible for focusing on system improvements related to health, performance, and cost of production for our Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois nursery, finisher, and wean-to-finish production sites. This veterinarian will monitor health and provide recommendations on vaccination and treatment programs to production personnel. Additionally, he or she will provide diagnostic support on presence and stage of disease in pigs, and probable source of contamination or infection. Subsequent development of most effective, cost competitive medication (preventative and therapeutic), vaccination and management strategies for each flow and location would occur. Activities include but are not limited to farm visits and process execution assessments, on-farm training, protocol development, training and education, animal posting, and slaughter checks.
AVMA Provides ASF Resources
AASV is thankful that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) is helping reach our veterinary colleagues in mixed animal, companion, and other types of practices. All swine species, including pet pigs, are susceptible to African swine fever, and all veterinarians have a role to play in biosecurity and prevention. We are happy to help our colleagues have answers about ASF ready for their clients. Remember, ASF does not affect humans or animals other than pigs, but other animals and humans can spread the virus.
Suicide Prevention Training: Learn to Identify and Refer At-risk Colleagues
Need a New Year’s resolution? Take AVMA’s QPR training to learn how to identify and refer at-risk colleagues, and put yourself in a position to help others!
A Novel Live Attenuated Vaccine Candidate Protects Against Heterologous Senecavirus A Challenge
Senecavirus A (SVA) is an emerging picornavirus causing vesicular disease (VD) clinically indistinguishable from foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in pigs. Currently there are no vaccines currently available for SVA. Here we developed a recombinant SVA strain (rSVAm SacII) using reverse genetics and assessed its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in pigs. In vivo characterization of the rSVAm SacII strain demonstrated that the virus is attenuated, as evidenced by absence of lesions, decreased viremia and virus shedding in inoculated animals. Notably, while attenuated, rSVA mSacII virus retained its immunogenicity as high neutralizing antibody (NA) responses were detected in inoculated animals. To assess the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of rSVA mSacII, 4-week-old piglets were sham-immunized or immunized with inactivated or live rSVA mSacII virus-based formulations. A single immunization with live rSVA mSacII virus via the intramuscular (IM) and intranasal (IN) routes resulted in robust NA responses with antibodies being detected between days 3-7 pi. Neutralizing antibody responses in animals immunized with the inactivated virus via the IM route were delayed and only detected after a booster on day 21 pi. Immunization with live virus resulted in recall T cell proliferation (CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ T cells), demonstrating efficient stimulation of cellular immunity. Notably, a single dose of the live attenuated vaccine candidate resulted in protection against heterologous SVA challenge, as demonstrated by absence of overt disease and reduced viremia, virus shedding and viral load in tissues. The live attenuated vaccine candidate developed here represents a promising alternative to prevent and control SVA in swine. Sharma B, Fernandes M, de Lima M, Joshi L, Lawson S, Diel D. A novel live attenuated vaccine candidate protects against heterologous Senecavirus A challenge. Front Immunol. 2019 Nov. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.02660
Development of a Biosecurity Assessment Tool and the Assessment of Biosecurity Levels by This Tool on Japanese Commercial Swine Farms
It is well known that infectious diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) and porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) decrease herd productivity and lead to economic loss. It is believed that biosecurity practices are effective for the prevention and control of such infectious diseases. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to investigate whether or not an association between biosecurity level and herd productivity, as well as disease status exists on Japanese commercial swine farms. The present study was conducted on 141 farms. Biosecurity in each farm was assessed by a biosecurity assessment tool named BioAsseT. BioAsseT has a full score of 100 and consists of three sections (external biosecurity, internal biosecurity and diagnostic monitoring). Production data for number of pigs weaned per sow per year (PWSY) and post-weaning mortality per year (PWM) were collected for data analysis. Regarding PRRS status, the farms were categorized into two groups: unknown or unstable and stable or negative. In addition, these farms were categorized based on their PED status, either positive or negative. The total BioAsseT score was associated with herd productivity: as total score increased by 1, PWSY increased by 0.104 pigs and PWM decreased by 0.051 % (P
AASV Annual Meeting: Online Registration Open
Registration is now open for the AASV 2020 Annual Meeting, to be held March 7-10 in Atlanta, Georgia. Register today at http://ecom.aasv.org/annmtg. Print copies of the program book will be mailed to all AASV members, and they should arrive in most members’ mailboxes within the next few weeks (they’ll be included with JSHAP for international and student members who receive mailed journals). New this year: we will not be including a printed registration form with the program book being mailed to members. If you prefer to register by mail, include a copy of the registration form available here with your check. Conference presentations address the theme 2020: A Vision for the Future. Details, including registration, lodging, and the scientific program are available at aasv.org/annmtg. See you in Atlanta!
Veterinary Students: Apply for Podcasting Opportunity by January 8
The AASV is once again providing an opportunity for 30 students to record a podcast interview with an annual meeting speaker during the 2020 AASV Annual Meeting in Atlanta. The effort is rewarded with a $200 stipend. This is a excellent opportunity for students to meet and visit with a respected swine industry professional on a one-to-one basis. The end product is a 5- to 15-minute MP3 podcast available to members on the AASV website. If you’re a veterinary student and would like to participate in this program, please send an email with the subject “AASV Student Podcast” to: aasvpodcast@gmail.com. The deadline to respond is January 8th.
Position Announcement: Tenure-track Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor – Veterinary Epidemiology
The College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, in Ames, Iowa, is seeking qualified applicants for a full-time, tenure-track, faculty appointment in the area of veterinary epidemiology in the Department of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine (VDPAM). The responsibilities of the position will be divided between didactic teaching and scholarly activity related to research, professional practice, and institutional service. The allocation of effort (%) among these duties will be dependent on the applicant and department’s needs.