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SHIC Funds 12 Plan of Work Projects to Advance Emerging Disease Mission

The Swine Health Information Center recently funded 12 new projects addressing research priorities and topics published in its 2025 Plan of Work. This effort helps the organization fulfill its mission to generate new intelligence for preventing, preparing for, and responding to emerging swine disease threats. Funded research areas span across the Center’s five strategic priorities: improve swine health information, monitor and mitigate risks to swine health, responding to emerging disease, surveillance and discovery of emerging disease, and swine disease matrices. The new projects were initiated in fall 2025 and range from nine to 15 months in duration. Research outcomes from the funded projects will provide critical information and resources to help pork producers as they face emerging disease challenges in their swine herds. 

Newly funded projects addressing SHIC’s research priorities include enhanced monitoring of swine diseases, mitigation strategies for emerging disease preparedness and response, novel biosecurity practices for reducing disease risks, diagnostic assay development for emerging diseases, whole genome sequencing as a forensic diagnostic tool, clinical relevance of newly identified agents from veterinary diagnostic lab submissions, and modernization of swine pathogen prioritization.  

The SHIC 2025 Plan of Work Request for Proposals received 57 proposals from 19 institutions with available funds totaling $1.5 million. Funding timely research is an essential component to SHIC providing project outcomes that drive action for emerging disease prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response for the US swine industry. 

SHIC 2025 Plan of Work projects funded and initiated in response to the RFP include: 

Improve Swine Health Information

▪️Expand the Domestic Swine Disease Surveillance laboratory networking – Include Illinois Veterinary and Diagnostic Laboratory
      ⚬ Principle Investigator: Giovani Trevisan, Iowa State University
      ⚬ Objective: Expand the SDRS laboratory network and regional representativeness by incorporating historical and prospective data from the Illinois Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. 

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Inside the Swine Disease Reporting System - Dr. Guilherme Cezar

Video: Inside the Swine Disease Reporting System - Dr. Guilherme Cezar

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Guilherme Cezar from Iowa State University explains how the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS) tracks emerging disease trends in the U.S. swine industry. He outlines patterns in pathogen activity, including positive developments with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae and concerning surges in PRRS variants. Gain insights into disease surveillance, biosecurity, and cross-border collaboration potential. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The Swine Disease Reporting System aggregates diagnostic lab data to monitor and interpret trends in nine major swine pathogens."

Meet the guest: Dr. Guilherme Cezar / guilhermec-veterinario-037064168 is a veterinarian and Ph.D. candidate in Veterinary Preventive Medicine at Iowa State University, where he also serves as the Coordinator of the Swine Disease Reporting System (SDRS). With a strong background in swine health, biotechnology, and field epidemiology, he focuses on infectious disease trends and data-driven solutions.