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An Overview from the 2019 Swine Fever Exercise for Agriculture Response in Iowa

Iowa leads the United States in pork production, housing approximately one-third of the country's swine population. This puts Iowa at great economic risk if an outbreak of African swine fever, a disease that limits international trade opportunities, were to occur anywhere in the United States. To hone emergency response plans to combat an outbreak, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in September 2019 participated in a 4-day exercise with representatives from the other 13 top pork-producing states. 

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Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Video: Season 6, Episode 6: The Science Behind Sudden Sow Deaths

Recent necropsies have revealed new insights into unexplained sow deaths, helping producers better understand the causes behind these losses. A recent study led by Laura Solis, a graduate student at Iowa State University, examined why these deaths occur, many around farrowing. In some cases, animals were sent to the lab for further analysis, as discussed by Dr. Marcelo Almeida, assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University. The episode also features Dr. Chris Rademacher, clinical professor and swine extension veterinarian as well as associate director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, who asks questions of what seasonal factors there were and management strategies that can influence herd health outcomes.