The Swine Health Information Center, launched in 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the US swine herd by minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data, and targeted research investments.
The Swine Health Information Center has released its 2025 Progress Report, documenting record producer‑focused research investment, response to requests for proposals, and matching funds. The National Pork Board approved the report on January 14, 2026, and it is now available at swinehealth.org/plan-of-work. Outlined in SHIC’s grant with NPB, the 2025 Progress Report confirms the Center’s ongoing success for pork producers’ benefit.
SHIC was created in 2015 as a five year pilot program with funding provided by the Pork Checkoff, which was renewed in 2021. In 2025, NPB voted to provide $2.5 million to fund SHIC, affirming the Center’s value to producers whose Checkoff investment funds a significant portion of its operation. In 2025, SHIC celebrated a decade of existence working to mitigate emerging swine disease threats on behalf of US pork producers in partnership with NPB, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, and the National Pork Producers Council.
From 2022 through 2025, SHIC secured $5,041,094 in matching funds and external grants to enhance reach and results. These external funding sources are equal to $0.49 of non‑Checkoff funding for every $1.00 of Checkoff support, directly increasing the return on producer investments and expanding research breadth.
With all funds available, SHIC contracted $4,434,466 across 32 research projects in 2025, the greatest annual research investment in the Center’s history. These funds enable producer‑relevant projects and allow extensive research into swine health-related priorities that fulfill SHIC’s mission. Captured across SHIC’s five pillars, projects encompass domestic and global emerging disease monitoring, targeted swine disease research, swine health data analysis and coordinated communications.
In total, SHIC received 116 research proposals in 2025, requesting $17.7 million. This record number of proposals provides evidence that leading researchers view SHIC as an organization that directly funds and supports impactful swine health research. A competitive review process managed by SHIC staff led to selection of the 32 funded proposals approved by the SHIC Board of Directors, ensuring that Checkoff and matching funds are focused on the highest‑priority, highest‑impact projects for producers.
These projects directly reflect producer and stakeholder input captured through the 2025 SHIC Plan of Work process, which utilized surveys, listening sessions, and Working Group prioritization across five strategic priorities.
SHIC’s domestic and global monitoring systems continued to produce monthly domestic and global disease monitoring reports in 2025, providing early warning on threats such as ASF’s return to Spain after three decades, FMD incursions in Europe and Asia, JEV activity, and the spread of New World screwworm. This near real‑time intelligence guides on‑farm and industry‑level biosecurity decisions.
In 2025, SHIC’s communication platform reached nearly 36,000 individual website visitors, and over 95,000 page views, reached well over 3,000 e‑newsletter recipients, provided more than 60 partner articles, shared five press releases, did over 60 media interviews, hosted three webinars, and published five podcasts, plus targeted outreach to 42 state pork associations with ready‑to‑use swine health content. This broad reach ensures that SHIC-driven science and results move quickly from research to practical adoption across operations of all sizes.
In addition, SHIC is an essential component to a successful National Swine Health Strategy, requested by pork producers in March 2025 with a report on implementation due during National Pork Forum 2026. SHIC has been identified as a critical partner in carrying out the priorities of the NSHS being led by NPB and NPPC.
SHIC continues to do exactly what producers asked it to do—delivering leveraged, producer‑driven, emerging disease preparedness and tools at scale. Building on more than a decade of success and results, SHIC enters 2026 with the same passion and intellectual curiosity it has depended on to serve US pork producers and keep their herds safe.
The Swine Health Information Center, in collaboration with the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research and the Pork Checkoff, announced funding of 10 projects addressing research priorities and topics within its H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Program in July 2025. The research awards were part of a $4 million program to enhance prevention, preparedness, mitigation, and response capabilities for H5N1 influenza in the US swine herd. Today, SHIC, FFAR, and NPB are inviting a second round of proposal submissions from qualified researchers for funding consideration to address H5N1 Risk to Swine research priorities not yet adequately addressed. Described in the detailed Request for Research Proposals (RFP), topic areas include 1) surveillance, 2) introduction risks, 3) caretakers, 4) biosecurity, 5) pork safety, 6) production impact, and 7) business continuity.
Total funding available for the SHIC/FFAR/NPB H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Priorities included in this RFP is $1.8M. Individual awards are capped at $250,000, however, proposals may exceed cap if sufficient justification is provided. Matching funds are encouraged but not required; the $250K cap applies to only those funds requested from SHIC/FFAR/NPB. All projects should strive to have a high impact, show value to pork producers, and have pork industry-wide benefit.
The deadline for proposal submission is 5:00 pm CT on March 24, 2026. The proposal template and instructions for completion and submission can be found here. For questions, please contact Dr. Megan Niederwerder at [email protected] or (785)452-8270 or Dr. Lisa Becton at [email protected] or (515)724-9491.
Proposals should clearly state which SHIC/FFAR/NPB H5N1 Risk to Swine Research Priorities will be addressed through the project. Projects proposing to expand previously funded work from the first RFP that align with the research priorities of this solicitation will also be considered for funding.
Collaborative projects including relevant pork industry, allied industry, dairy or poultry industries, academic institutions, and/or public/private partnerships, as applicable, are highly encouraged. For multi-species projects, proposals should demonstrate adequate scientific and/or industry representation for each species included to ensure meaningful and effective collaboration. Projects demonstrating the most urgency and timeliness of completion, provide the greatest value to pork producers, and show efficient use of funds will be prioritized for funding. Projects are requested to be completed within a 12 to 18 month period with sufficient justification required for extended project duration.
Outcomes from the funded projects will provide critical information producers, veterinarians, and industry stakeholders can use to better prevent incursion and develop preparedness plans if H5N1 is identified in US commercial swine herds.
Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) builds public-private partnerships to fund bold research addressing big food and agriculture challenges. FFAR was established in the 2014 Farm Bill to increase public agriculture research investments, fill knowledge gaps and complement the U.S. Department Agriculture’s research agenda. FFAR’s model matches federal funding from Congress with private funding, delivering a powerful return on taxpayer investment. Through collaboration and partnerships, FFAR advances actionable science benefiting farmers, consumers and the environment.
Swine Health Information Center
The Swine Health Information Center, launched in 2015 with Pork Checkoff funding, protects and enhances the health of the US swine herd by minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through preparedness, coordinated communications, global disease monitoring, analysis of swine health data, and targeted research investments. As a conduit of information and research, SHIC encourages sharing of its publications and research. Forward, reprint, and quote SHIC material freely. For more information, visit http://www.swinehealth.org or contact Dr. Megan Niederwerder at [email protected] or Dr. Lisa Becton at [email protected].
Following the news of New World screwworm being detected in Mexico in November 2024, USDA increased efforts to prevent the insect’s entry into the United States. Monitoring and mitigation practices were initiated, including the regular aerial introduction of sterile NWS insects in Mexico to curb population growth. The US swine industry considers NWS a potential emerging threat to swine health. Consequently, the Swine Health Information Center has shared regular NWS updates, held a webinar on the pest, and now makes a fact sheet available as a resource for swine producers and other industry stakeholders.
From the NWS fact sheet:
New World screwworm (NWS) is a parasitic fly whose larvae feed on the living tissue of warm-blooded animals including livestock, pets, wildlife, and people. Larval infestations (myiasis) can occur in any broken or damaged skin and cause rapidly progressing, painful wounds that can lead to serious injury or death. Although NWS was eradicated from the United States in the 1960s, the increasing number of confirmed cases in Central America and Mexico starting in late 2024 have renewed concern about risks to swine health, human safety, and farm profitability.
In Texas alone, projections estimate that an NWS outbreak could result in more than $1.8 billion in livestock losses (USDA APHIS, 2025). Due to significant animal health and economic impacts, suspected cases of NWS must be reported to state animal health officials and the USDA immediately. For comprehensive information regarding NWS, visit screwworm.gov.
Swine producers can prepare for NWS by understanding the fly’s behavior and life cycle, identifying production and housing conditions that increase risk of myiasis, implementing effective biosecurity, environmental, and wound management practices, knowing the response procedures for suspected infestations, and developing a NWS disaster management plan.
From the USDA’s screwworm.gov website:
In Figure 1, taken from USDA’s screwworm.gov website on January 29, 2026, NWS detections in Mexico are tracked to date. NWS has been reported as close as 70 miles south of the US/Mexico border and reports include the first swine infestation in Mexico. The website also contains extensive information and resources on the US response to NWS.
Figure 2 illustrates NWS geographic occurrences in Mexico, including the Nuevo Leon sites near Texas, sourced from USDA’s screwworm.com website.
Additional resources for producers:
For more information, NWS resources are available from the USDA APHIS website on New World Screwworm, the TAHC NWS Fact Sheet, and the Panama-United States Commission for the Eradication and Prevention of Screwworm (COPEG).
Providing publicly available, science-based fact sheets supports SHIC’s mission of minimizing the impact of emerging disease threats through coordinated communication of key resources and improving swine health information. The SHIC NWS and other swine disease fact sheets can be found here.
A Swine Health Information Center funded study was recently completed to investigate the potential role of porcine rotaviruses in swine respiratory disease. Rotavirus species A and C are among the most common causes of diarrhea in young pigs and new evidence suggests some strains may also affect the porcine respiratory tract. Led by Dr. Anastasia Vlasova at The Ohio State University, the study sought to understand how rotaviruses A (RVA) and C (RVC) are detected and contribute to disease in suckling and weaned pigs that have respiratory signs, diarrhea, or appear healthy. Results emphasize the high on-farm prevalence of RVA and RVC and their strong association with diarrheal disease. Researchers did not see evidence of RVC involvement in the porcine respiratory disease complex; however, researchers note RVA may be emerging as a potential respiratory pathogen of suckling piglets.
Find the industry summary for project #24-082 here.
Rotaviruses are considered ubiquitous across U.S. pig farms, and understanding how they spread, change, and contribute to disease is essential for improving herd health. The objectives of this study were twofold. First, researchers set out to evaluate nasal and fecal RVA and RVC shedding by suckling and weaned piglets with three health statuses (respiratory signs, diarrhea, or healthy) and determine whether RVA or RVC can be associated with respiratory disease/lesions. Second, they aimed to genetically characterize RV strains associated with respiratory disease and define the microbiome composition associated with respiratory RV replication under field conditions.
This cross-sectional study was conducted on six swine farms in Ohio (two research farms and four commercial farms). Nasal and rectal swabs were collected from suckling and weaned piglets that were healthy, experiencing diarrhea, or showing respiratory signs. For each group, the researchers aimed to sample 15 piglets/farm/group; however, some farms did not have suckling piglets with respiratory signs at the time of sampling. The resultant sample size of 427 piglets across 6 different farm herds was used to identify significant associations between RV infections and diarrheal/respiratory disease. Samples were tested for rotavirus using RT-PCR assays. In addition, researchers analyzed tissues of 16 suckling piglets that died of undefined causes on one of the research farms to determine whether rotaviruses were present across different organs, including the respiratory tract.
Results demonstrated that RVA and RVC were present on all six farms. The prevalence of different rotaviruses varied greatly between different farms (A: 67-100%; C: 7-56%). Overall, 88% and 29% of piglets were positive for RVA and RVC, respectively. Consistent with prior research, the highest RVA prevalence/viral loads were found in diarrheic weaned piglets on most farms. However, suckling piglets with respiratory signs from farm 6 and diarrheic suckling piglets from farm 5 also had increased RVA loads.
Importantly, suckling piglets with respiratory signs from farm 6 shed either more RVA nasally or comparable levels to those shed with feces, while all other piglets on all farms had consistently higher fecal shedding of the virus. This could be attributed to the genetic diversity of the circulating RVA strains, which is being explored further. Researchers also confirmed RVA presence in various samples, including samples from the respiratory tract of 12 out of 16 dead suckling piglets from farm 2.
RVC shedding was detected either at a very low level, suggesting no ongoing outbreak on farms 2 and 5, or at higher levels in suckling piglets with diarrhea on farms 1 and 4. Farm 6 was an outlier, where RVC loads were the highest in weaned piglets exhibiting diarrhea. Interestingly, on farm 3 only, healthy weaned piglets had the highest loads of RVA and RVC. Another notable observation is that farm 4 had the lowest overall prevalence of RVA, which coincided with the highest prevalence of RVC. It is unclear whether the heightened biosecurity measures in place at the time of sample collection—implemented due to an ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic influenza A virus in nearby poultry farms—contributed to this outcome.
Screening for other respiratory and enteric pathogens did not reveal any strong associations between individual pathogens and increased prevalence of rotavirus infections. However, as researchers continue with the analysis of PCR screening and NGS data, new findings may emerge, which are planned to be shared in future publications.
Selected representative RVA and RVC positive (paired nasal and rectal swab) samples from suckling and weaned piglets from different farms will undergo next generation sequencing. Researchers also selected representative samples from different farms with RVA and RVC positive piglets with and without diarrhea or respiratory signs to determine whether a specific metagenomic composition can protect or predispose piglets to the rotavirus-associated illness. Researchers also note that the remarkably high overall prevalence of RVA on all farms suggests it may utilize other transmission routes (e.g. airborne) in addition to fecal-oral/contact.
Overall, the current findings highlight that RVA and RVC are ubiquitous pathogens impacting the US swine industry with potential emerging clinical presentations. The contrasting mechanisms associated with their pathogenesis and spread need to be studied in-depth to inform and update existing control strategies.
The Swine Health Information Center funds the Morrison Swine Health Monitoring Project and shares key deliverables derived from its activities. In December 2025, upon review of MSHMP’s 2025 accomplishments and proposed 2026 objectives, the SHIC Board of Directors renewed funding for 2026. MSHMP gathers information on the health of the US swine herd from more than 30 production systems participating voluntarily, analyzing data to track disease trends and monitoring for emerging pathogen activity. Led by principal investigator Dr. Cesar Corzo and the MSHMP team at the University of Minnesota, MSHMP delivers reliable and consistent swine health monitoring data for the US industry.
In the MSHMP summary of 2025 key outcomes, Dr. Corzo noted the US swine industry dealt with PEDV twice in 2025 across two epidemics. Both epidemics occurred in the fall/winter seasons, consistent with historical reporting. However, the last time two PEDV epidemics occurred in one year was in 2022.
The 2024-2025 and current 2025-2026 PRRSV seasons followed a similar trend as PEDV, with growing frequency of detection. New variants such as the L1C.5.32 were tracked as causing higher losses in affected herds. During 2025, MSHMP developed and launched the Variants Under Monitoring (VUM) initiative to better inform and aid industry stakeholders about PRRS variant activity. Through the VUM project, MSHMP characterizes and groups newly emerged variants into different categories based on the number of new sites affected in the previous six months. These VUM reports are featured in SHIC’s monthly newsletter.
During 2025, the MSHMP team focused on database improvements to enable more informed disease metric calculations. As part of this effort, the team focused on influenza quantification by estimating cumulative incidence. While improvement for breeding herd classification is still needed, Dr. Corzo said they have confirmed that estimation of cumulative incidence is feasible within the current MSHMP framework.
MSHMP also added Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae to its list of monitored agents. During the second part of 2025, and thanks to a regional initiative in the state of Minnesota, the prevalence of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in breeding herds was estimated at approximately 10%. Ongoing efforts in 2026 will focus on expanding data collection from the MSHMP network to support the development of national-level estimates.
Dr. Corzo outlined MSHMP’s priorities for the newly funded year, writing, “During 2026, we propose to continue to bring meaningful information to our participants and the US industry. Our commitment to continue to provide actionable outputs remains our priority. The different objectives proposed for 2026 have been formulated based on participant feedback and industry initiatives. We believe that through these projects, we will continue to develop capacity to give the industry a better opportunity to voluntarily respond to emerging pathogens, and also continue our mission to deliver value to our participants, with the overarching goal of continuing to nurture the progressive collaborative efforts we have witnessed through this effort.”
MSHMP’s 2026 priorities include:
To continuously track and analyze trends in the incidence and prevalence of pathogens.
Characterize the frequency of breeding herd depopulation and repopulation events in the MSHMP database.
Determine whether the MSHMP participant network is interested in reporting Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae incidence/prevalence estimates and begin gathering information.
To sustain ongoing surveillance of the PRRS virus sequences impacting the US swine population.
Continue to develop a robust database to identify PRRSV variants to feed the recently launched Variants Under Monitoring program.
Develop and implement a methodology by which the time between outbreak and elimination of pathogens can be readily estimated using an endemic disease.
To enhance producer engagement, broaden representation, and facilitate access to timely and industry-relevant disease-related information.
Continue efforts to expand the competence of the MSHMP database to include filtration status and mortality management data.
This month’s Domestic Swine Disease Monitoring Report highlights IAV reaching 42.2% case positivity in wean‑to‑market pigs—the highest January level in the past decade—and 27.4% case positivity in adult/sow farms, the highest January level since 2023. PEDV case positivity increased to 12.6% in January 2026, rising outside the expected range, with adult/sow farms reaching 14.0%, the highest level since 2022, and the wean‑to‑market category climbing to 17.5%, its highest level since 2024. A bonus page introduces a SHIC-funded disease index derived from confirmed tissue diagnosis data, offering a new tool for assessing swine pathogen activity across the U.S. This month’s podcast features Dr. Corrine Fruge, herd veterinarian at The Maschhoffs, who discusses managing IAV outbreaks, reducing PEDV transmission, and applying the new disease index tool in day‑to‑day veterinary practice.
The February Global Swine Disease Monitoring Report contains extensive information on African swine fever activity in Europe and Asia. In Latvia, government authorities reported the first farm-level outbreak of the year at one of the country’s largest commercial operations with more than 22,000 domestic pigs on site. In South Korea, officials reported four farm-level outbreaks in January, a sharp increase compared with six cases reported in all of 2025. In the Philippines, a sharp reduction in active ASF cases was noted; from 98 barangays in nine regions at the end of December 2025 to eight barangays in three regions by mid-January. Foot-and-mouth disease continues to raise concern. In Israel, the first detection of FMD SAT1 in the country was reported in January with multiple outbreaks in cattle and goats.
PRRS Cumulative Incidence for MSHMP
PEDV Cumulative Incidence for MSHMP
Six PRRSV variants are classified as Variants Under Monitoring (VUMs) category 2 or higher and are described in this month’s report: Variants 1C.5.32 remains a VUM Category 4, 1C.2 and 1C.5 remains VUM Category 3, 1H.18 remains VUM category 2, 1C.5.32 and 1C.5.35 were promoted to VUM category 2 from a previous category 1 status (this change is reflected in a new variant-specific situation report). Previous reports for all variants ever classified as VUM Category 2 or higher remain available.