Farms.com Home  › News

Small Pests, Bigger Threats: Flies and Gnats Spread Swine Rotaviruses and Sapovirus

Annoying. Bothersome. Irritating. Inconvenience. Pest. No matter how you describe Musca domestica, aka the house fly, and its friend the gnat, one thing's for sure - they are a nuisance and pose a threat to your swine herd.

Everyone knows the small stature of flies and gnats and their ability to fly allows them to easily enter and exit barns and vehicles while bringing with them viral, bacterial and parasitic pathogens. For the first time ever, a study led by Allison Knox of the Walcott Veterinary Clinic in Walcott, Iowa, shows the ability of house flies and gnats to transmit rotavirus and sapovirus in swine nurseries.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Iowa Hog Farmer on Prop 12, the Save Our Bacon Act and Pork’s Future

Video: Iowa Hog Farmer on Prop 12, the Save Our Bacon Act and Pork’s Future

Prop 12 went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the ruling upholding it hasn't ended the fight — opponents are now pushing the Save Our Bacon Act, which would preempt state laws like Prop 12 at the federal level. Iowa is home to large-scale confinement operations — and strong opinions on both sides of the issue.