Swine Health - General Disease
Pork Checkoff Research
Research is at the heart of the National Pork Board’s mission and is funded by your Pork Checkoff dollars. Research is administered in all areas of pork production, processing, and human nutrition to develop a higher quality and more profitable product in the competitive meat protein market.
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Swine Health - General Disease
Determination of effective protocols for cleaning processing tools
Animal Well-being
Innovative scientific techniques to evaluate alternatives to the use of carbon dioxide euthanasia procedures
The identification and validation of a humane method to euthanize piglets is critical to address the public’s concern that current...
Environment - Environmental Footprint
A 50-Year Comparison of the Carbon Footprint and Resource Use of the US Swine Herd: 1959 – 2009
The purpose for this scientific project was to conduct parallel life cycle assessments to evaluate the impact of increased production efficiency in the U.S. swine industry on the environment and...
Public Health - Influenza
Optimization of Ante mortem methods for surveillance of swine influenza infection
The objective of this research was to compare the detection of influenza virus A in nasal swabs vs. pen-based oral fluids. In addition, this study evaluated the impact of vaccination on IAV shedding...
Animal Well-being
Establishing bedding requirements for finisher pigs during transportation and skin surface temperature during different seasons after transportation
Producers and packers would like to reduce dead and down market pigs during transportation for economic and welfare reasons. Transport...
Animal Science - Swine Nutrition
Evaluation of lipid oxidation levels in DDGS sources and impact of feeding (with or without antioxidants) on swine health, performance, and metabolic oxidation
Background: Oxidative damage in feedstuffs represents a significant economic loss because it negatively affects pig health and growth performance. Lipid peroxidation occurs during the production...
Swine Health - PRRS
Identification of conserved T-cell epitopes contained in the non-structural genes of PRRSV which contribute to broad protective immunity
Effective vaccine protection against infection by any of the multiple PRRSV strains that circulate in the field is of major...
Environment - Air
Effects of Manure Handling and Application Method on Odor and Gas Emission Potential of Swine Manure
This project investigated manure composition and emissions potential of swine manure in opposing contexts of desired and undesired methane generation. In the main study, the full-scale treatment...
Swine Health - PRRS
An evaluation of back-drafting of non-filtered air as a source of PRRSV infection to pigs housed in filtered facilities and whether selected intervention strategies can reduce this risk
The objectives of this study were to demonstrate that the risk of PRRSV-contaminated aerosols entering a facility via retrograde air is a true risk though unfiltered points (i.e. idle fans); to...
Swine Health - PRRS
Understanding the effect of concurrent PCV2a or PCV2b infection on the evolution of the PRRSV during serial passage in pigs
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) infections are among the most important swine viruses facing the industry today. Although vaccines...
Public Health - MRSA
The potential for human contamination with Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from handling contaminated pork products.
Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been linked to livestock production (referred to as Livestock Associated or LA-MRSA). The bacterium has been found in some swine herds as well...
