Latest News From Hog Health

The American Association of Bovine Practitioners is making the name change, as it more accurately reflects the issue.

Kay Russo, DVM, Novonesis technical services manager for dairy and poultry, emphasized the situation is rapidly evolving and more clarity will come with time as researchers learn more.

Sid Miller, commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture, says the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza impacting beef cattle in the state's panhandle – where dairy cows have been infected – is minimal.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that a human case of bird flu has been confirmed in Texas and identified in a person who had direct exposure to dairy cattle presumed to be infected with the disease.

USDA says genetic sequencing revealed the mystery illness impacting Texas dairies is the same strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) that's been in the U.S. The virus is carried by wild waterfowl.

A new collaborative effort is helping fund rapid investigations of unexplained morbidity or mortality events in animals – unexpected deaths or illnesses that could signal emerging animal disease threats.

 The House of Representatives passed the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act on Tuesday. It will help fight illicit use of the product in humans while preserving access to the drug for animals.

A recent American Veterinary Medical Association study found less than 4% of veterinarians nationwide predominantly practice production animal medicine. Here's what Iowa State University is doing to help change that.

What does veterinary care look like in the 21st Century? That question drove hours of conversation during the 21st Century Animal Health Symposium at the University of Illinois.

"Basically, a pig has a 3-inch environmental vacuum on the front of his face. Anything in front of it is going down. A lot of that damage goes unseen by the public eye,” says William Futch in Feral Swine in America.

USDA's APHIS is awarding more than $3.2 million to create antimicrobial resistance dashboards to improve access to information on antimicrobial resistance in domesticated animals.

The National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility offers the highest level of biocontainment labs and safety protocols, is the first of its kind in the U.S. and will allow scientists to study critical animal diseases.

The company has doubled the warehouse space available for its veterinary pharmaceutical products. The 1,000-plus temperature-controlled pallet spaces are maintained with a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system.

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding $2.29 million through the National Animal Health Laboratory Network Farm Bill program to advance APHIS’ animal health preparedness.

As misinformation regarding the use of mRNA vaccines in livestock filter through social media, there are facts begging to be set straight.

On June 11, FDA’s Guidance for Industry #263 brings 91 over-the-counter antimicrobial products from OTC to prescription oversight. Three experts weigh in on why you need to prepare for this change now.

Household units and mini fridges are often unsuitable for maintaining veterinary products, according to a recent study by Emmanuel Rollin, DVM, College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia.

EPA is proposing changes to rodenticides that would result in canceling products and uses, adding more requirements to labels, and reclassifying some products to restricted use pesticides. Here's what you need to know.

A coalition of public health advocacy groups and online activists have filed a lawsuit against the FDA and its Center for Veterinary Medicine, challenging the decision to keep important antibiotics in animal ag.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced $40 million in funding to help complete Phase 2 of Iowa State University’s Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Here's why it matters to all of animal agriculture.

Domestic sales and distribution of medically important antimicrobial drugs approved for use in food-producing animals decreased by less than 1% between 2020-21. Compared to 2015 (peak year), 2021 sales decreased 38%.

Drugs such as penicillin and some others routinely used to treat cattle, hogs and other food animals will be available only with a prescription from your veterinarian, starting June 12, 2023.

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has awarded nineteen scholarships to students enrolled in AAVMC member institutions, totaling close to $100,000.

Funding designated for Tribal Nations and organizations in animal disease preparedness and response activities was announced by USDA APHIS on Tuesday.

Federal agents seized more than 40 lbs. of Mooncakes, 1,200 lbs. of olives and nearly 2,600 lbs. of clams in a shipment from China at JFK Airport last week.

One source of disease-producing pathogens often overlooked is feed. Kansas State University provides new feed sampling resources to help educate and standardize the procedure.

British officials on Friday ruled out a suspected case of foot and mouth disease in the rural eastern English county of Norfolk.

The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will host a virtual Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Workshop on Aug. 30 to update stakeholders and renew action on the topic.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced an investment of more than $5 million to mitigate antimicrobial resistance across the food chain.

According to the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System data collected in 2019, the majority of Salmonella isolates collected from humans were not resistant to any of the antimicrobials tested under NARMS.

About 500 rural counties in the U.S. have too few or no veterinarians. The lack poses risks to farming livelihoods and, ultimately, the country's food supply.

Probiotics may not be as beneficial for animal and human health as people think, according to recently published research at Kansas State University. Here's why.

Access to livestock drugs through over-the-counter (OTC) channels was curbed considerably starting in 2017. Soon, OTC antibiotics may no longer be available through traditional channels at all.

Two states are working to ramp up measures to minimize growing wild pig populations that are causing major damage to agriculture, the environment and private property. 

Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers confiscated feral swine from a farm in El Paso County that later tested positive for pseudorabies.

USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is awarding more than $16.3 million to 64 projects with states, universities and other partners to strengthen programs to protect animal health.

His warnings have gone largely unheeded, while wild pigs rapidly expand across Western Canada, with no nationally coordinated science-based containment strategy in place. For Brook, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Supply-chain disruptions are hitting America's meat producers and sending them scrambling for alternatives as they seek to care for farm animals and keep down costs.

Antimicrobial resistance is a “One Health” challenge that requires effort across both human and animal health sectors. Animal health companies have invested billions as part of a strategy to reduce antibiotic use.

The fall sniffles. They are real for humans, dogs, cattle and swine. It’s no wonder that one of the most anticipated times of year becomes a time of worrying about the health and well-being of new show prospects.

While there are lots of reasons to believe ASF in the Dominican Republic is not a sure sign it will penetrate the U.S. industry, still, everyone has become focused on it and how slippery it is to contain.

The number of dogs being imported into the U.S. for resale from countries affected by ASF is growing. Combine that with an increasing risk of foreign animal disease spread, and it’s a formula for potential disaster.

A rural veterinarian in Faribault County, Minn., is offering to give away his practice, clinic, pickup and even the vet clinic cat, in an effort to recruit his replacement.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Mike Crapo introduced bipartisan legislation to address the shortfall of veterinarians in rural areas.

The National Institute for Animal Agriculture (NIAA) re-elected and welcomed new board members at the 2021 Annual Conference, and announced award winners.

The Pirbright Institute is tackling three deadly livestock viruses: porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and African swine fever virus in pigs and bovine respiratory syncytial virus in cattle.

The adage that “knowledge is power” is especially true when it comes to understanding mold and mycotoxins. Lon Whitlow, professor emeritus at NC State University, offers five reminders to help livestock producers.

Each year, several thousand dogs enter the U.S. for resale or adoption. In a recent Hogs on the Hill article, NPPC chief veterinarian Liz Wagstrom wrote that it’s time to sound the alarm on importing rescue dogs.

As winter weather conditions rage across the country, USDA reminds livestock farmers affected by the winter storms that assistance is available. 

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the country anything, it’s that there is a tremendous amount of synergy between the circumstances of a pandemic involving humans and those involving animals.