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Cross-species livestock disease threats

Some of the biggest disease threats to U.S. livestock can infect multiple species.

Swine Health Information Center executive director Dr. Megan Niederwerder says Foot and Mouth Disease, New World Screwworm, and the H5N1 virus are all cross-species pathogens.

“And so we in the pork industry are always focused on how can we be proactive for our pork producers, how do we increase awareness so everybody knows what to look for on farm (and) can react very quickly and respond quickly, eradicate quickly, contain.”

Speaking to Brownfield during last week’s World Pork Expo in Des Moines, she called those important aspects of any infectious disease introduction.

“So certainly at the Swine Health Information Center as we look at both global diseases that aren’t in the U.S., as well as domestic disease risks, we want to try and provide information as quickly and effectively back to producers and veterinarians so that we can reduce the impact if there is an incursion.”

Foot and Mouth Disease has been detected in three European countries that had been FMD-free for several decades, and New World Screwworm has been found within 700 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border.