The Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) will host a webinar on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) strain 1-4-4 which is making a notable appearance in veterinary diagnostic lab data The webinar will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2021, from 1:00 to 2:30 pm. Registration is now open. Dr. Mariana Kikuti, Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Giovani Trevisan, Swine Disease Reporting System, Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Stephanie Rossow, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, will present perspectives on PRRS 1-4-4.
Monthly Archives: January 2021
Merck Animal Health’s Dr. Angela Baysinger Receives “Feather in Her Cap” Award for Contributions to the Animal Health Industry
Angela Baysinger, DVM, MS, Animal Welfare lead at Merck Animal Health was awarded the 4th Annual Feather in Her Cap Award from the Feather in Her Cap Association, Inc. Dr. Baysinger was recognized for her significant contribution and achievements to the animal health industry, including mentoring and developing future women leaders. [Source: Merck Animal Health 22 January 2021]
SHIC Provides Context on Chinese ASF Outbreaks and Vaccines
Illegal African swine fever (ASF) vaccine use in China continues, creating concern in the US swine industry. Per a January 21, 2021, report by Reuters, “A new form of African swine fever identified in Chinese pig farms is most likely caused by illicit vaccines, industry insiders say… Two new strains of African swine fever have infected more than 1,000 sows on several farms owned by New Hope Liuhe, China’s fourth-largest producer, as well as pigs being fattened for the firm by contract farmers, said Yan Zhichun, the company’s chief science officer.” USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) says there is information about at least two ASF vaccines being used in China, a situation they continue to monitor and acknowledge may change. One of these vaccines circulating in China at this stage has a deletion of only the CD2 gene and the other with deletions of the CD2 and the MGF genes. Based on this information, APHIS fully expects available ASF PCR tests deployed in the US to be able to detect both vaccine strains.
Emergency Preparedness and Response Training Opportunity: Decontamination and Disposal Capability Gaps – Feb 2
Purpose/Objective: Ms. Lori P. Miller, Senior Staff Officer/Environmental Engineer for USDA APHIS Veterinary Services Office of Interagency Coordination will be our speaker for the webinar. She has spent the past 15 years focusing on planning and preparedness for animal disease outbreak response, specifically in the areas of carcass management and biosecurity.
Vote Today: District Director Elections Under Way
Elections are under way for the AASV District Director positions in Districts 1, 4, 6, and 8. A link to the ballot has been emailed to each voting member in the applicable districts. Members may also access their ballot by logging into https://www.aasv.org/members. The candidates in each district are:
Have We Got a Grill for You! Everybody Bid-a-Now!
It’s time to start bidding in the AASV Foundation Auction! This year’s auction will be conducted entirely via ClickBid mobile bidding: go to aasvf.cbo.io today to sign up for a bidding number, view the items, and place your bids. The items have been divided into two groups: Featured Items (#1-15) and Silent Auction Items (#16-67). There is no “live-called” auction this year; ClickBid will receive bids for ALL items, but the bidding on each group of items will end at a different time. Bidding on the Silent Auction Items closes Monday, March 1 at 7:00 PM CST. Bidding on the Featured Items stays open until Tuesday, March 2 at 12:30 PM CST, after which the winning bidders of the featured items will be announced during the live “Grand Finale” closing session of the AASV Annual Meeting. Grill-Meisters, take note: there are 3 (three!) fabulous wood pellet smoker grills up for bid in this year’s auction! Read on for details:
Mark Your Calendar – BODYATTACK® Class is Back at the VIRTUAL AASV Annual Meeting
Please plan to roll out of bed at 6:00 AM (CST) Sunday morning, February 28, and join us from your living room for a free early workout! All you need to do is add the BODYATTACK® Exercise Class to your AASV Annual Meeting schedule, wipe the sleep out of your eyes, and click on the Zoom link provided in the schedule! Join your fellow attendees for some fun and get your day started off right!
One Week Remaining to Pre-Register for AASV Annual Meeting
Registration is now open for AASV’s first-ever virtual Annual Meeting, “Navigating the Future … Together,” to be held February 27 – March 2, 2021. The advantageous pre-registration rate for AASV members expires after Friday, February 5, at which point the registration fee increases by $100. Register here today!
People on the Move: Dr. Mark Eisenhart
Dr. Mark Eisenhart recently accepted a position as Technical Service Manager for Phibro Animal Health. His updated contact information is available at aasv.org/directory. Are you on the move? If so, let us know at aasv@aasv.org.
Wellness Wednesday
Wellness Wednesday – Environmental Wellbeing Tip: Incorporate live plants into and near your workplace when possible.