SHIC Announces 2016 Plan of Work–What’s in it for you?

Swine veterinarians hear “what’s in it for my producers” with the announcement of the 2016 Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) 2016 Plan of Work at the recent American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s conference. Coordinated disease monitoring and targeted research investments to minimize the impact of future disease threats is the focus of initiatives. 2016 Plan of Work initiatives fall under four categories: preparedness, response, monitoring and analysis.
A summary of the Plan of Work is found here.

PREPAREDNESS
The Swine Health Preparedness and Response Group is charged with oversight of the Swine Disease Matrix research and for oversight of SHIC’s role in the emerging swine disease response plan. In 2016’s plan of work, this group affirmed the importance of the Swine Disease Matrix Project. In 2015 top diseases of concern for which the US industry needs readiness preparation were ranked in the Swine Disease Matrix. 2016 focus will review this prioritization. And very importantly, where there is a diagnostics gap, testing abilities will be improved. High priority virus antigen detection research will be assigned among universities with the interest and capability to do the research.

Alongside this diagnostic work, veterinary and producer education is a spotlight. As previously announced, twenty-five fact sheets have been developed. Additional fact sheets will focus on at risk pathogens prioritized in the Swine Disease Matrix.

A 2016 project priority under preparedness focuses on the ability of imported feeds to introduce virus into the US. Research zeroes in on virus rate of inactivation during sea transport. The results of this study would provide the first objective data indicating whether contaminated feed ingredients could serve as an entry vehicle for diseases that threaten the U.S. pork industry. At the same time, additional entry risk assessment work will be initiated.

RESPONSE
There is no predicting when or where the next emerging disease will appear. To be prepared, SHIC is designating emerging disease research funds that can be quickly mobilized to support filling the immediate research needs if an outbreak happens.

SHIC’s Preparedness and Response Working Group will oversee development of a rapid response framework. Having a rapid response plan will help to gather immediate emerging disease and epidemiologic information. That will be used to inform producers and their veterinarians and to help inform the industry’s disease response plan to new or emerging diseases in the US.

To proactively help identify any emerging diseases, funds are designated to provide diagnostic fee support to cases where the cause of an outbreak remains unknown. The target cases are high morbidity/high mortality cases where an etiology is either not identified or there is a strong supposition by the clinician working with the diagnostic laboratory that the identified pathogen is not the likely cause of the outbreak. Information regarding requirements for these funds are outlined at this link.

MONITORING
SHIC will work to assess the value, shortcomings and modifications to existing disease and biosecurity risk assessment programs to understand how to increase the value. If needed, SHIC will support a plan for enhancements that would result in better coordination between existing biosecurity and diagnostic lab databases and other information sources. Concerning monitoring and the prioritized diseases on the Swine Disease Matrix, SHIC will work to develop a method to continue to review and assess pathogens of risk on which to focus SHIC efforts.

The pork industry is importing feed ingredients from countries with endemic swine diseases that are not present in this country. A pilot project to validate the materials and methods to do ongoing surveys of imported feed ingredients has been initiated.

Database building and maintenance of emerging diseases of member countries is done by the International Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Monitoring of these databases and contacts in these organizations will help to supplement SHIC swine disease international monitoring that takes advantage of the first-hand knowledge of the disease situations in other countries through personal, ‘boots on the ground’, contacts.

ANALYSIS
The SHIC Monitoring and Analysis Group placed a bull’s eye on VDL Data Standardization. Swine health test and related data from different Veterinary Diagnostic Labs need to be standardized in order to facilitate compiling, sharing, and accessing data for disease response or epi analysis.

The Swine Health Monitoring Project will work to analyze data to return value to participants and value for all pork producers.

Lastly, there are multiple industry public databases that may be available and might be adequately mined for health information that could be valuable to pork producers. This initiative works to identify epi questions of value to the industry, identify sources of data for the analysis, support the analysis and communicate the results to the industry.

Details regarding each initiative will be communicated as the year progresses.

The mission of the Center is to protect and enhance the health of the United States swine herd through coordinated global disease monitoring, targeted research investments that minimize the impact of future disease threats and analysis of swine health data. For more information visit SHIC’s website at www.swinehealth.com or contact SHIC at [email protected] veterinarians hear “what’s in it for my producers” with the announcement of the 2016 Swine Health Information Center’s (SHIC) 2016 Plan of Work at the recent American Association of Swine Veterinarian’s conference. Coordinated disease monitoring and targeted research investments to minimize the impact of future disease threats is the focus of initiatives. 2016 Plan of Work initiatives fall under four categories: preparedness, response, monitoring and analysis.
A summary of the Plan of Work is found here.

PREPAREDNESS
The Swine Health Preparedness and Response Group is charged with oversight of the Swine Disease Matrix research and for oversight of SHIC’s role in the emerging swine disease response plan. In 2016’s plan of work, this group affirmed the importance of the Swine Disease Matrix Project. In 2015 top diseases of concern for which the US industry needs readiness preparation were ranked in the Swine Disease Matrix. 2016 focus will review this prioritization. And very importantly, where there is a diagnostics gap, testing abilities will be improved. High priority virus antigen detection research will be assigned among universities with the interest and capability to do the research.

Alongside this diagnostic work, veterinary and producer education is a spotlight. As previously announced, twenty-five fact sheets have been developed and are available online at this link. Additional fact sheets will focus on at risk pathogens prioritized in the Swine Disease Matrix.

A 2016 project priority under preparedness focuses on the ability of imported feeds to introduce virus into the US. Research zeroes in on virus rate of inactivation during sea transport. The results of this study would provide the first objective data indicating whether contaminated feed ingredients could serve as an entry vehicle for diseases that threaten the U.S. pork industry. At the same time, additional entry risk assessment work will be initiated.

RESPONSE
There is no predicting when or where the next emerging disease will appear. To be prepared, SHIC is designating emerging disease research funds that can be quickly mobilized to support filling the immediate research needs if an outbreak happens.

SHIC’s Preparedness and Response Working Group will oversee development of a rapid response framework. Having a rapid response plan will help to gather immediate emerging disease and epidemiologic information. That will be used to inform producers and their veterinarians and to help inform the industry’s disease response plan to new or emerging diseases in the US.

To proactively help identify any emerging diseases, funds are designated to provide diagnostic fee support to cases where the cause of an outbreak remains unknown. The target cases are high morbidity/high mortality cases where an etiology is either not identified or there is a strong supposition by the clinician working with the diagnostic laboratory that the identified pathogen is not the likely cause of the outbreak. Information regarding requirements for these funds are outlined at this link.

MONITORING
SHIC will work to assess the value, shortcomings and modifications to existing disease and biosecurity risk assessment programs to understand how to increase the value. If needed, SHIC will support a plan for enhancements that would result in better coordination between existing biosecurity and diagnostic lab databases and other information sources. Concerning monitoring and the prioritized diseases on the Swine Disease Matrix, SHIC will work to develop a method to continue to review and assess pathogens of risk on which to focus SHIC efforts.

The pork industry is importing feed ingredients from countries with endemic swine diseases that are not present in this country. A pilot project to validate the materials and methods to do ongoing surveys of imported feed ingredients has been initiated.

Database building and maintenance of emerging diseases of member countries is done by the International Organization for Animal Health (OIE) and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Monitoring of these databases and contacts in these organizations will help to supplement SHIC swine disease international monitoring that takes advantage of the first-hand knowledge of the disease situations in other countries through personal, ‘boots on the ground’, contacts.

ANALYSIS
The SHIC Monitoring and Analysis Group placed a bull’s eye on VDL Data Standardization. Swine health test and related data from different Veterinary Diagnostic Labs need to be standardized in order to facilitate compiling, sharing, and accessing data for disease response or epi analysis.

The Swine Health Monitoring Project will work to analyze data to return value to participants and value for all pork producers.

Lastly, there are multiple industry public databases that may be available and might be adequately mined for health information that could be valuable to pork producers. This initiative works to identify epi questions of value to the industry, identify sources of data for the analysis, support the analysis and communicate the results to the industry.

Details regarding each initiative will be communicated as the year progresses.