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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.

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Trailer Biosecurity at Harvest Plants - Dr. Lucas Ferreira

Video: Trailer Biosecurity at Harvest Plants - Dr. Lucas Ferreira


In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Lucas Ferreira, a Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota, discusses trailer contamination risks at packing plants. He shares research on pathogen prevalence, seasonal trends, driver biosecurity practices, and factors contributing to contamination during transport. He highlights opportunities to strengthen biosecurity and reduce disease transmission across swine operations. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Trailer washing gaps allow harvest plant contamination to increase pathogen risk before equipment returns to farms or wash facilities."

Meet the guest: Dr. Lucas Ferreira https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-fer... is a veterinarian from Brazil currently pursuing a master's degree at the University of Minnesota. His work focuses on swine pathogen epidemiology, detection, control, and prevalence, with an emphasis on science-driven solutions that improve herd health and biosecurity. Learn more from Dr. Lucas Ferreira on The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.