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

Mar 27, 2023

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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Video: Season 6, Episode 7: Takeaways from the Second International Conference on Pig Livability

This year’s conference fostered open, engaging conversations around current research in the swine industry, bringing together hundreds of attendees from 31 states and six countries. Two leaders who helped organize the event joined today’s episode: Dr. Joel DeRouchey, professor and swine extension specialist in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry at Kansas State University, and Dr. Edison Magalhaes, assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at Iowa State University. They share key takeaways from the conference, including the importance of integrating data when evaluating whole-herd livability, building a culture of care among employees and adopting new technologies. Above all, the discussion reinforces that this industry remains, at its core, a people business.