New Tool Warns U.S. Pork Producers of Diseases Present in Their Regions

Jul 10, 2023

A new tool that uses swine disease data submitted voluntarily by participants in the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring project is helping warn U.S. pork producers of diseases that are present in their regions.
The Early Regional Occurrence Warning project, launched in September 2022, has resulted in the creation of a regional early disease warning tool.
Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg explains the University of Minnesota's Morrison Swine Health Monitoring project is the foundational example of producers sharing site status information among themselves and the Early Regional Occurrence Warning or TEROW project was born out of that willingness to share information.

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Video: Assessing Welfare Resources During Late Finish - Dr. Anna Johnson & Emma Coursey

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Anna Johnson from Iowa State University and Emma Coursey from the University of Illinois discuss research evaluating welfare resources during the late finishing stage on commercial swine farms. They explain how feeder management, water use, space allocation, and pig health influence welfare outcomes and practical on-farm management. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Small resource issues can become larger welfare problems when multiple stressors interact across finishing barns."

Meet the guests: Dr. Anna Johnson / anna-johnson-05028a14 is the Morrill Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare at Iowa State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from Texas Tech University and completed her master's degree in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on practical solutions that improve farm animal welfare, including sow productive lifetime, animal-human interaction, environmental enrichment, and Precision Livestock Farming.

Emma Coursey / emma-coursey-183810241 is pursuing a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine after earning a bachelor's degree in Animal Science from Iowa State University. Her academic interests include swine health, production, and animal welfare, with research experience evaluating welfare resources in commercial finishing pigs.