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Abstract: Shortening Duration of Swine Exhibitions to Reduce Risk for Zoonotic Transmission of Influenza A Virus

Abstract: Shortening Duration of Swine Exhibitions to Reduce Risk for Zoonotic Transmission of Influenza A Virus

Reducing zoonotic influenza A virus (IAV) risk in the United States necessitates mitigation of IAV in exhibition swine. We evaluated the effectiveness of shortening swine exhibitions to <72 hours to reduce IAV risk. We longitudinally sampled every pig daily for the full duration of 16 county fairs during 2014-2015 (39,768 nasal wipes from 6,768 pigs). In addition, we estimated IAV prevalence at 195 fairs during 2018-2019 to test the hypothesis that <72-hour swine exhibitions would have lower IAV prevalence. In both studies, we found that shortening duration drastically reduces IAV prevalence in exhibition swine at county fairs. Reduction of viral load in the barn within a county fair is critical to reduce the risk for interspecies IAV transmission and pandemic potential. Therefore, we encourage fair organizers to shorten swine shows to protect the health of both animals and humans.

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Dorset Breeding Stock Chosen Today!

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Dorset Breeding Stock Chosen Today! In today’s episode of our daily sheep farming vlog at Ewetopia Farms, we’re preparing 29 Dorset ewe lambs and 2 yearling rams for new customers starting their own sheep farm! We carefully sort through our flock to select a uniform, high-quality group of breeding stock that reflects our genetics and standards. The chosen lambs are now in the main barn, ready for customer viewing tomorrow. The rest? They’ll stay with us as future replacement ewes. Join us behind the scenes as we make these big decisions!