Swine Extension

Episode 45: Discussion about H5 Influenza is now available on our Minnesota Swine & U podcast channel. In the podcast, Swine Extension Educator Sarah Schieck Boelke speaks with Dr. Marie Culhane about H5 Influenza. Especially concerning cases in poultry and dairy, and the risk of it for pigs. Dr. Culhane is a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. Her expertise is in influenza as it relates to food animals. Listen to the podcast https://z.umn.edu/Episode45Podcast (~27 Minutes; recorded April 22, 2025) Extra H5 Influenza information that was mentioned in the podcast This podcast was based on a Swine in Minnesota blog post, "H5 Influenza Q & A with Drs. Marie Culhane and Carol Cardona" Journal article talks about how susceptible pigs are to influenza . Journal article explains how pigs are a mixing vessel for influenza viruses. Minnesota Board of Animal Health H5N1 in Livestock Resources Minnesota Board of An...

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog May 2, 2025 Key points: Clinical re-breaks of PRRSV on sow farms are a frustrating reality for producers and practitioners and occur despite consistent use of modified live vaccines (MLV). 13 re-break events on 12 farms were identified from production and diagnostic data and were analyzed at the whole genome level. Numerous amino acid sites on structural proteins were observed to change frequently between the primary and secondary outbreaks. This includes sites previously associated with escape from serum neutralization or to be positively selected, and sites known to be accessible to antibodies. Read the full article on the Swine in Minnesota blog .

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as March 14 , 2025 Swine & U column Much of UMN Extension’s swine work involves disease preparedness. Not only are foreign animal diseases (FAD) a threat, but the endemic seasonal diseases faced by pig farmers every day require mitigation efforts.   The three FADs that swine producers prepare to NOT get are African Swine Fever (ASF), Classical Swine Fever (CSF), formerly known as hog cholera and eradicated in the US in 1978, and Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD), which was also eradicated in the US in 1929. FMD can also infect cattle, sheep, goats, deer and more. Typical prevention education includes assisting producers in creating an enhanced biosecurity plan through the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) process. Nationally, SPS provides a common template of farm map creation, identification of a biosecurity lead person on the farm, enhanced plans for feed and other deliveries, mortality disposal, employe...

By Diane DeWitte, UMN Extension swine educator Originally printed in The LAND - as April 25, 2025 Swine & U column Minnesota is typically considered an outdoor recreation, hunting-and-fishing state, the motherland to six outstanding professional sports teams, and home of the Mall of America. However, nestled within Minnesota’s rural communities are nearly 9 million hogs and hundreds of well-trained professionals who grow them. According to the 2022 Ag Census, Minnesota ranks 2nd in the U.S. in inventory of hogs & pigs, and in number of hogs & pigs sold (28.5 million). That number translates to $4.7 billion in sales, up 31% since the 2017 US Ag Census. Across the country, Americans are challenged to evaluate their health habits and assess their diets. While it’s important to consider the quality, quantity and nutritional value of food that we consume, I have been concerned about health experts who generously toss around terms like “toxins” and “poison”, and the phrases ...

Sign up for the new Minnesota Agritourism Quarterly Newsletter to stay connected with farm-based tourism efforts across the state. The newsletter includes best practices, regulatory updates, marketing tips, success stories and news from statewide partners and programs. ~ Freya Thurmer, Extension Educator, multi-county agritourism

The self-paced beginning livestock production course will cover the animal science and husbandry topics of nutrition, housing and facilities, health, and handling with information specific to beef cattle, dairy cattle, goats, sheep, poultry and swine. The course will help beginning livestock producers decide which livestock species fits their system and goals. Participants will use this information to plan for the essential facilities, supplies and skills necessary to successfully raise livestock. Participants can ask questions during bi-weekly office hours with the instructor. The course will take about 8-10 hours to complete. Date/time: Course opens May 12 with enrollment any time on/after May 12. Participants would have access through December 13. Delivery: Online self-paced course Cost: $50 Registration: Register online

Congratulations to the following swine faculty and educators from the Swine Extension team who have had their work published recently. Blaha, T., Shurson, G. , & Grabkowsky, B. (2025). The need to transform intensive livestock production toward sustainability and animal well-being. Journal of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, Early Access Article. Doi: 10.1007/s00003-025-01556-6 Garrido-Mantilla, J., Sanhueza, J., Alvarez, J., Pittman, J. S., Davies, P., Torremorell, M. , & Culhane, M. R. (2025). Reduction of Influenza A Virus Prevalence in Pigs at Weaning After Using Custom-Made Influenza Vaccines in the Breeding Herds of an Integrated Swine Farm System. Viruses-Basel. 17(2). Doi: 10.3390/v17020240. Meneguzzi, M., Bravo, J., Boucher, C., Torremorell, M. , & Noyes, N. (2025). Exploring Viral Co-infections Using the TELSVirus Workflow. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology-Animal. 60(1) Supplement S, Abstract A-6. Palowski, A., Balestreri, C., Urriola, P. E. ,...