Using next-generation sequencing, we identified and genetically characterized a porcine astrovirus type 3 strain found in tissues from the central nervous system of 1 piglet and 3 sows with neurologic signs and nonsuppurative polioencephalomyelitis. Further studies are needed to understand the potential for cross-species transmission and clinical impact.

We report an ongoing regional outbreak of an emerging porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV2) variant within Lineage 1C affecting 154 breeding and grow-finishing sites in the Midwestern U.S. Transmission seemed to have occurred in two waves, with the first peak of weekly cases occurring between October and December 2020 and the second starting in April 2021. Most of cases occurred within a 120 km radius. Both orf5 and whole genome sequencing results suggest that this represents the emergence of a new variant within Lineage 1C distinct from what has been previously circulating. A case-control study was conducted with 50 cases (sites affected with the newly emerged variant) and 58 controls (sites affected with other PRRSV variants) between October and December 2020. Sites that had a market vehicle that was not exclusive to the production system had 0.04 times the odds of being a case than a control. A spatial cluster (81.42 km radius) with 1.68 times higher the number of cases than controls was found. The average finishing mortality within the first 4 weeks after detection was higher amongst cases (4.50%) than controls (0.01%). The transmission of a highly similar virus between different farms carrying on trough spring rises concerns for the next high transmission season of PRRS.

Nursery pigs are frequently faced with disease challenges and producers are seeking nutritional strategies to help pig performance and health. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate five dietary formulation strategies that may improve performance in poor health nursery flow pigs (confirmed Rotavirus A and hemolytic E. coli positive at d 14). A total of 431 weaned pigs (5.5 ± 1.25 kg BW) were assigned to pens (10–11 pigs/pen) and one of five diets (n = 8 pens/treatment) over a 63-day test period consisting of 4 diet phases using a complete randomized design. In phase 1 and 2, treatments were: 1) 15–25% low soybean meal (LSBM), 2) 35–45% high soybean meal (HSBM), 3) 130% increase in valine and isoleucine branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) to Lys, 4) 2.1% combination of C8, C10 and C12 medium chain fatty acids (MCFA), and 5) 20% modified oats (MO). All pigs were fed a common diet for phases 3 and 4. Within phase, all diets were isocaloric with similar SID Lys:ME. Pen was considered the experimental unit and data were analyzed with contrast statements comparing each diet against the LSBM control. Across all phases, compared to LSBM, HSBM, BCAA and MO did not alter ADG, ADFI and G:F (P > 0.10). However, MCFA reduced (P < 0.05) ADG in phase 1 (0.20 vs 0.16 kg) and 2 (0.45 vs 0.39 kg) and phase 2 ADFI (0.66 kg vs 0.58 kg) compared to the LSBM treatment. Overall (0–63 days), compared to the LSMB, the MCFA treatment reduced ADG (0.46 vs 0.42 kg, P = 0.004) and ADFI (0.75 vs 0.68 kg, P = 0.009). Diet did not affect mortality. These data report that MCFA attenuated nursery pig performance, while HSBM, MO and BCAA diets fed in phases 1 and 2 had no longitudinal impact on pig performance or health.

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In the United States swine industry, castration is essentially universal and only a select number of male pigs are left intact as potential breeder boars. Pain and distress inflicted by castration is an animal well-being concern in livestock production. To minimize the stress it has been recommended that this procedure should be conducted in the first wk of life. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate plasma cortisol differences between a stressful (manual restraint) and painful (castration) event under controlled conditions. One hundred cross-bred male pigs 9 to 11 d of age were chosen at random from 24 litters. Fifty piglets were randomly assigned to be castrated (CAST) with the remainder sham castrated (SHAM). Processing tie was different between pre and post samples (P < 0.0001). Pre treatment blood samples was 38.8 min and post treatments blood samples was 45.5 min respectively. Processing times for SHAM and CAST pre (P = 0.98) and post (P = 0.46) treatment blood samples were not different. Pre-castration values were not different (P > 0.05) between CAST and SHAM groups. The post-castration mean value of cortisol for the SHAM group increased from 73.5 nmol/L to 145.3 nmol/L (P < 0.0001). The CAST group serum cortisol increased from 75.4 nmol/L to 357.3 nmol/L (P < 0.0001). Post-castration values were different (P < 0.0001) between the SHAM (145.3 nmol/L) and CAST group (357.3 nmol/L). This study measured a distinct difference between piglets that experienced stress due to restraint and blood collection and piglets that experienced those stresses plus castration.