Will swine veterinarians lead by meeting the next-generation needs of our industry?

The US swine industry is currently challenged by the potential of transboundary animal disease (eg, African swine fever) entry to the national herd and the relentless pressures of domestic diseases (eg, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome). The task of the swine veterinarian is to biosecure both the national herd and their customers' local farms to mitigate these risks. This Viewpoint raises 4 questions that swine veterinarians, including practicing (private and corporate), industry, research, academic, and regulatory (state and federal) veterinarians who spend a portion of their time controlling, treating, preventing, or eradicating diseases of swine, must answer to meet the needs of their farms to compete globally and survive.

The risk of viral transmission in feed: What do we know, what do we do?

The role of animal feed as a vehicle for the transport and transmission of viral diseases was first identified in 2014 during the porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus epidemic in North America. Since the identification of this novel risk factor, scientists have conducted numerous studies to understand its relevance. Over the past few years, the body of scientific evidence supporting the reality of this risk has grown substantially.

Development and Validation of a Bovine Castration Model and Rubric.

Veterinary students require deliberate practice to reach competence in surgical bovine castration, but animal availability limits opportunities for practice. We sought to create and validate a surgical bovine castration model consisting of a molded silicone scrotum and testicles to allow students to practice this skill without the use of live animals. We sought to validate the model and associated scoring rubric for use in a veterinary clinical skills course.