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

Sep 23, 2022

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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Video: A Day in the Life of a Swine Veterinarian

Meet Svetlana: A Swine Veterinarian Making a Difference in Manitoba.

Join us as we follow a day in the life of Svetlana, a dedicated swine veterinarian working in Manitoba’s hog sector . In her Career Month feature, she shares her journey, the daily care and passion behind working with pigs, and what it takes to help an entire industry thrive.

Why the Pork Industry Matters:
The hog sector provides over 22,000 jobs across Manitoba. It contributes more than $2.3 billion annually to Manitoba’s GDP.
It accounts for over 55% of all agriculture & agri-food manufacturing jobs in the province.

Want a career like Svetlana’s?
Head over to www.manitobapork.com/careers to explore the many paths available in the pork industry — from veterinary services to production, logistics, human resources and more.

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