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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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Heat Stress in Pigs: What to Prepare for Before Next Summer - Dr. Joshua Selsby

Video: Heat Stress in Pigs: What to Prepare for Before Next Summer - Dr. Joshua Selsby

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Joshua Selsby from Iowa State University explains how heat stress affects swine biology and why now is the ideal time to prepare for next summer’s challenges. He breaks down its effects on muscle function, immune responses, and long-term metabolic outcomes. Learn how early planning can protect herd performance when temperatures rise again. Listen now on all major platforms! "Heat stress leads to a cascade of biological damage, beginning with metabolic disruption and expanding across multiple organ systems." Meet the guest: Dr. Joshua Selsby is a Professor in the Department of Animal Science at Iowa State University. With over 15 years of research on skeletal muscle physiology and heat stress, he focuses on understanding how thermal stress disrupts swine metabolism, immune function, and muscle integrity.