American livestock and poultry producers are facing an unprecedented emergency due to COVID-19, particularly with the closing of meat processing plants in several states. USDA is leading the federal response by working in coordination with the Vice President’s Task Force, the CDC, OSHA, Department of Labor, industry, state and local governments, and others across the federal family to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on producers. We will continue to seek solutions to ensure the continuity of operations and return to production as quickly, safely and as health considerations allow at these critical facilities. [Source: USDA 24 April 2020]
Monthly Archives: April 2020
Foreign Animal Disease Preparation Bulletin
Read the latest Foreign Animal Disease Preparation Bulletin brought to you by the Pork Checkoff, in collaboration with the National Pork Producers Council, Swine Health Information Center, USDA, and AASV.
Oral Vitamin A Supplementation of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Infected Gilts Enhances IgA and Lactogenic Immune Protection of Nursing Piglets
Vitamin A (VA) has pleiotropic effects on the immune system and is critical for mucosal immune function and intestinal lymphocyte trafficking. We hypothesized that oral VA supplementation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV)-infected pregnant gilts would enhance the gut-mammary gland-secretory IgA axis to boost lactogenic immunity and passive protection of nursing piglets against PEDV challenge. Gilts received daily oral retinyl acetate (30 000 IU) starting at gestation day 76 throughout lactation. At 3-4 weeks pre-partum, VA-supplemented (PEDV + VA) and non-supplemented (PEDV) gilts were PEDV or mock inoculated (mock + VA and mock, respectively). PEDV + VA gilts had decreased mean PEDV RNA shedding titers and diarrhea scores. To determine if lactogenic immunity correlated with protection, all piglets were PEDV-challenged at 3-5 days post-partum. The survival rate of PEDV + VA litters was 74.2% compared with 55.9% in PEDV litters. Mock and mock + VA litter survival rates were 5.7% and 8.3%, respectively. PEDV + VA gilts had increased PEDV IgA antibody secreting cells and PEDV IgA antibodies in serum pre-partum and IgA+β7+ (gut homing) cells in milk post piglet challenge compared with PEDV gilts. Our findings suggest that oral VA supplementation may act as an adjuvant during pregnancy, enhancing maternal IgA and lactogenic immune protection in nursing piglets. Langel S, Paim F, Alhamo M, Lager K, Vlasova A, Saif L. Oral vitamin A supplementation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus infected gilts enhances IgA and lactogenic immune protection of nursing piglets. Vet Res. 2019 Nov. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13567-019-0719-y
Antigenic Characterization of Novel H1 Influenza A Viruses in Swine
Novel H1N2 influenza A viruses (IAVs) in swine have been identified in Chile co-circulating with pandemic H1N1 2009-like (A(H1N1)pdm09-like) viruses. The objective of this study was to characterize antigenically the swine H1 IAVs circulating in Chile. Genetic analysis based on the HA1 domain and antigenic analysis by hemagglutination inhibition assay were carried out. Three antigenic clusters were identified, named Chilean H1 A (ChH1A), Chilean H1 B (ChH1B), and A(H1N1)pdm09-like. The antigenic sites of ChH1A and ChH1B strains were 10-60% distant from those of commercial vaccine strains at the amino acid sequence level. Antigenic variants were identified within the clusters ChH1A and A(H1N1)pdm09-like. Substitutions in the main antigenic sites (E153G in Sa, Q193H in Sb, D168N in Ca1, P137S in Ca2, and F71L in Cb) were detected in variants from the ChH1A cluster, whereas only a single substitution in antigenic site Sa (G155E) was detected in variants from A(H1N1)pdm09-like cluster, which confirms the importance to carrying out antigenic analyses in addition to genetic analyses to evaluate control measures such as vaccination. These results highlight the need to update vaccines for swine in Chile and the importance of continued surveillance to determine the onward transmission of antigenic variants in Chilean pig populations. Tapia R, Torremorell M, Culhane M, Medina R, Neira V. Antigenic characterization of novel H1 influenza A viruses in swine. Sci Rep. 2020 Mar. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-61315-5
What’s a Swine Vet Worth? AASV Salary Survey Now Under Way
What’s a swine veterinarian worth? Isn’t that what we all want to know? Are your salary and benefits comparable to those of your colleagues? Are you paying your associate veterinarians enough to keep them from searching for greener pastures? What do you need to offer a young veterinarian to be competitive with other offers he or she is likely to receive? The answers to these questions start with YOUR participation in the 2020 AASV Salary Survey, now under way!
Well-being Resources for Veterinarians and Producers
These uncertain times can cause emotional distress and anxiety. The AASV is committed to providing members with resources to promote and enhance well-being. Visit AASV’s Veterinarian Well-being webpage to find resources to assess and improve your own well-being and resources to help support colleagues, clients, friends, and family. You can also find resources addressing mental health and well-being specifically during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Question, Persuade, Refer Suicide Prevention Training Free for Veterinarians
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering additional sessions of the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) suicide prevention training. Just as people trained in CPR and the Heimlich maneuver help save thousands of lives each year, people trained in QPR learn how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and how to question, persuade and refer someone to help.
SHIC Study Looks at PCV3 Associations with Clinical Signs and Pathology
A study on porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) mined diagnostic data obtained by the University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab (UMN VDL) during the last two years to identify associations between the presence of PCV3 and its viral load, and specific lesions and clinical conditions. Results from this study suggest PCV3 may cause death in fetuses and myocarditis and systemic vasculitis in pigs.
SHIC-Funded Study Responds to Sapovirus Discovery with Diagnostic Tools
A new variant of porcine sapovirus (SaV) was identified in 2019 and appears to be the first detection of a single porcine SaV infection in piglets with diarrhea in the US. On a farm with SaV, piglet diarrhea during the lactation phase resulted in smaller pigs at weaning, with piglets losing one to two pounds, a severe impediment during this phase. Piglet diarrhea had been an issue on this farm for two years, creating a significant financial cost. A study on SaV funded by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) is underway with results expected in August 2020. SHIC funded the study to help understand if SaV, which is included on the Center’s Swine Disease Matrix, is an emerging pathogen in the US and to develop necessary diagnostic tools. An abstract of the SaV study with initial observations is now available.
Validation of Sampling Methods in Bulk Feed Ingredients for Detection of Swine Viruses
Animal feed can be contaminated with fomites carrying swine viruses and subsequently be a vehicle for viral transmission. This contamination may not be evenly distributed, and there is no validated sampling method for detection of viruses in animal feed or ingredients. The purpose of this experiment was to evaluate the sensitivity of ingredient sampling methods for detection of porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV). No animals were used in this experiment, so approval from an animal ethics committee was not necessary. Thirteen kg soybean meal was used in a 2 × 2 factorial plus a control, with 2 doses of PEDV (Low: 103 TCID50 g versus High: 105 TCID50 g) and two sample types (individual probes versus composite sample). Soybean meal was confirmed PEDV negative, then loaded into individual, 1-kg polyethylene tote bags with PEDV introduced after loading the first 100 g. There were six replicates per PEDV dose plus a control. Ten individual probes or one composite sample per bag were created and analysed for PEDV via qRT-PCR. The interaction, dose and sample type were significant for both PEDV presence and quantity. No control samples had detectable PEDV. At the low dose, no PEDV RNA was detected in individual probes or composite samples, but was confirmed in 100% (32.4 Ct ) of the inoculant samples. This is likely due to loss of sensitivity during the analysis process, which has been previously reported to cause a loss up to 10 Ct when detecting PEDV in feed or ingredients. At the high dose, only 37% (37.7 Ct ) of the probes had detectable PEDV RNA. Composite samples were more sensitive (p < .05), with PEDV RNA detected in 100% of samples (35.7 Ct ). In summary, sampling bulk ingredients for PEDV should include compositing at least 10 individual samples. Future research is needed to identify alternative methods that have a similar sensitivity, but require less time and effort to collect such a sample. Jones C, Stewart S, Woodworth J, Dritz S, Paulk C. Validation of Sampling Methods in Bulk Feed Ingredients for Detection of Swine Viruses. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2020 Jan. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.13326