Newly Funded: University of Minnesota Researchers Secure $500K USDA Grant to Study Novel Pig Influenzas

Mar 30, 2022

A team of researchers at the University of Minnesota has secured $500,000 to study how new influenza virus strains emerge, persist, and spread in pig populations--and what age, well-being, farm-production type, and epidemiological factors might help predict whether a new virus strain emerges.

Though most pigs recover from influenza, the virus affects pork producers financially because infected pigs take longer to gain weight--meaning more time on the farm prior to market. The most common cause of new infectious strains in both pigs and people is something called viral gene reassortment, which occurs when two different influenza viruses infect the same cell and then swap gene segments.

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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.