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Water-Based Foam Shows Promise as a Method for Swine Depopulation

Perhaps one of the most valuable lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that preparing for emergencies is very important when it comes to both human and animal health, says Jack Korényi-Both, a DVM candidate in The Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and winner of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Top Student Presenter Award at the 2023 AASV annual meeting.

“In the case of emergencies (e.g., zoonotic diseases, environmental disasters, pandemics, etc.), animal depopulation may be needed to stop disease from spreading as soon as possible. However, the methods currently available for depopulation bring important challenges when considering animal welfare, logistics, equipment, and human mental health; and research in the topic of animal depopulation is largely lacking,” Korényi-Both explains. 

Ohio State’s Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine has been trying to fill knowledge gaps regarding swine depopulation. Korényi-Both set out on a mission to do exactly that with a focus on better understanding he use of water-based foam for depopulation of swine. 

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U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan | Made by Producers for Producers

Video: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan | Made by Producers for Producers

Join Jill Brokaw, a third-generation pig farmer and staff member of the National Pork Board, as she dives into the vital role of the US Swine Health Improvement Plan, also known as US SHIP. The program establishes a national playbook of standards for monitoring African swine fever and classical swine fever.

Why Should Pork Producers Care? If a disease breaks out, officials will establish a control area to help contain the disease. This plan is designed to mitigate risk and demonstrate freedom of disease at the site level. The goal is to support business continuity outside of the control area in case of an outbreak.

How Will the Pork Industry Use US SHIP? US SHIP uses already existing programs to support the standards for biosecurity, traceability and disease surveillance.

Biosecurity: This plan uses your completed Secure Pork Supply plan to demonstrate compliance with the biosecurity program standards and shows your ability to reduce the risk of disease introduction.

Traceability: AgView can be used to demonstrate compliance with the traceability standards and the ability to electronically provide State and Federal agencies the traceability information they need to determine where disease is and isn’t.

Disease Surveillance: The Certified Swine Sampler Collector Program helps expand the number of people certified to take samples. In the event of a large-scale foreign animal disease outbreak, we will need a trained group of sample collectors to help animal health officials find where the disease is present. This is to help you demonstrate freedom of disease and support the permitted movement of animals.

Getting Started with US SHIP:

1. Enroll in U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan

2. Share 30 days of movement data

3. Have a completed Secure Pork Supply Plan

4. Become U.S. SHIP certified

5. Maintain communication with your state

Takeaway: U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan helps safeguard animal health. Together, we're creating a sustainable future for pork production in the United States and taking steps to strengthen the business of U.S. pork producers everywhere