Swine Health Information Center

Monitor Swine diseases around the world to identify potential risks to the us Swine herd. Use that Information to inform Swine Health and biosecurity research priorities for the us pork industry, including allied industries, so that appropriate measures can be implemented to prevent introduction into the us. Fill gaps of research and Information needed to prevent, prepare and respond to foreign animal or emerging diseases. Investigate the ability of common inputs that might quickly introduce disease into herds across the country, such as feed, pests, supplies, and other fomites. Research focuses on obtaining data sufficient to support a comprehensive risk assessment about potential roles of common inputs and their movements in disease introduction and dissemination. Research and communicate cost-effective improvements in national, regional and on-farm biosecurity to prevent disease introduction. Interact with international organizations and animal Health companies to provide input and Information into global disease risk and mitigation.

Enhance detection of emerging disease to facilitate rapid response. Offer diagnostic fee support to help detect emerging diseases so they are quickly and accurately identified for action by the industry. Investigate innovative and novel sample types and sampling protocols to identify emerging disease earlier. Investigate newly identified agents associated with disease to understand the clinical relevance and epidemiology of novel viruses and bacteria. Veterinary diagnostic labs continue to identify these viruses and understanding associations with clinical disease syndromes is critical. Better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenicity of the agents are important to identifying if they have a role in clinical disease.

Make industry Swine Health Information available to help identify, communicate, and mitigate regional and national risks to herd Health. Survey to identify pathogens and emerging diseases and uncover regional differences that might be able to be used in predicting disease risk and current outbreak models. Refine domestic Swine disease monitoring and reporting. Inform the industry about emerging diseases or syndromes that might look like an isolated incident to help producers evaluate and prepare for Health risks, supporting the development of an effective disease risk and outbreak model. Develop the industry capacity for detection of emerging diseases for rapid response and business continuity.

Identify high risk events likely to be responsible for introducing emerging diseases onto farms through outbreak investigations. Refine and enhance the rapid response program, which helps producers and veterinarians respond to and manage newly emerging diseases. Enhance responsiveness and efficiency of outbreak investigations to understand epidemiologically distinct incidents of endemic disease outbreaks. Automate and streamline the rapid response investigation process. Identify early warnings of disease events for rapid response and quickly research pathogens causing emerging disease outbreaks. Assess effectiveness of sanitation and decontamination protocols. Improve the ability to investigate disease outbreaks through forensic diagnostic tools to enhance emerging disease discovery. Quickly research pathogens causing emerging disease outbreaks. Ensure communications pathway will facilitate rapid response to an emerging disease, and ensure resources are available to help detect, prepare, and respond to emerging diseases on the farm.