The Executive Director of the Swine Health Information Center is advising pork producers to be aware of the potential for a heightened risk of Influenza A virus in the coming months.
The Swine Health Information Center’s monthly domestic swine disease monitoring report identifies an unexpected increase of respiratory agents activity this summer, including a moderate increase in Influenza A detection in the wean-to-market category.
Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr. Paul Sundberg notes Influenza is one of the viruses that SHIC has just recently started tracking in the domestic swine disease report.
The overall cases of Influenza in July were about the same, maybe even a moderate decrease from what we saw in June so that’s good news. However, we have an advisory group that looks at all the data about PRRS, about PED, about Influenza that we’re reporting on and we get on the ground analysis and what’s your perspective of this data based on what you’re seeing out in the field.
Our advisory group this time highlighted the potential of these Influenza cases because they’re happening over the summer. That’s a rather unusual thing that they happen over the summer. Usually, they’re very low over the summer and, as we come into late summer and early fall, that can be a concern for our producers and the health of our herds.
There have been rather mild clinical presentations that have happened through July. This is something to be aware of and something to talk to veterinarians about biosecurity and prevention of this infection over the coming months.
~ Dr. Paul Sundberg, Swine Health Information Center
The Swine Health Information Center’s August domestic and global swine disease monitoring reports can be accessed at swinehealth.org.
