March 25, 2024

American Association of Swine Veterinarians Foundation awards over US$100,000 for swine research

In a commitment to supporting research directly relevant to the profession, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) Foundation has allocated over US$100,000 in funding for research initiatives, National Hog Farmer reported.

Ross Kiehne, chair of the AASV Foundation, unveiled the selection of four research proposals during the AASV Annual Meeting held in Nashville, Tennessee. The foundation's funding will bolster research efforts led by principal investigators from the University of Minnesota and Iowa State University.

A grant of US$29,827 was awarded to University of Minnesota researcher Cesar Corzo and collaborators, including graduate student Marcello Melini, for their proposal titled "Advancing biocontainment strategies through advanced viability qPCR for PRRSv environmental contamination assessment." The project aims to investigate the viability of PRRSv detected in pig barn environments and assess the risk of dissemination to other farms via frequently touched surfaces.

Daniel Linhares and colleagues from Iowa State University received US$22,442.50 in funding for their proposal, "Assessing the effect of pooling commonly used samples on the probability of Influenza A virus sequencing and virus isolation." This project will evaluate the success of sequencing and virus isolation for influenza A virus in swine by pooling various sample types.

Ana Paula Poeta Silva and collaborators from Iowa State University secured US$30,000 for their proposal, "Improving extraction and PCR protocols to enhance Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (MHP) DNA detection in oral fluid samples in field conditions." The study aims to enhance the diagnostic performance of MHP DNA detection protocols in field oral fluid samples.

The foundation also provided partial funding of US$18,000 to Giovani Trevisan and Iowa State University collaborators for their proposal, "Further characterisation of PRRSv diversity and other pathogens in Live Virus Inoculation (LVI) material used in breeding herd stabilization programs." This study will analyse the genetic diversity of PRRSv and the presence of other pathogens in LVI samples used in swine production.

Results from these research endeavours will be disseminated through presentations at swine meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

-      National Hog Farmer