Use of Chemical Tracers in Population Studies-A Scoping Review.

A highly invasive species, free-ranging often negatively impact the ecosystem and are capable of spreading a number of impactful pathogens to domestic livestock. Measures taken to ameliorate these impacts and/or control population size are based on the delivery of oral baits containing bioactive chemicals or vaccines, e.g.

Effect of pooled tracheal sample testing on the probability of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae detection.

Tracheal pooling for Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyopneumoniae) DNA detection allows for decreased diagnostic cost, one of the main constraints in surveillance programs. The objectives of this study were to estimate the sensitivity of pooled-sample testing for the detection of M.

Pen-Based Swine Oral Fluid Samples Contain Both Environmental and Pig-Derived Targets.

Laboratory methods for detecting specific pathogens in oral fluids are widely reported, but there is little research on the oral fluid sampling process itself. In this study, a fluorescent tracer (diluted red food coloring) was used to test the transfer of a target directly from pigs or indirectly from the environment to pen-based oral fluid samples. Pens of ~30, ~60, and ~125 14-week-old pigs (32 pens/size) on commercial swine farms received one of two treatments: (1) pig exposure, i.

Generation of a Commercial-Scale Founder Population of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus Resistant Pigs Using CRISPR-Cas.

Disease resistance genes in livestock provide health benefits to animals and opportunities for farmers to meet the growing demand for affordable, high-quality protein. Previously, researchers used gene editing to modify the porcine CD163 gene and demonstrated resistance to a harmful virus that causes porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). To maximize potential benefits, this disease resistance trait needs to be present in commercially relevant breeding populations for multiplication and distribution of pigs.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Surveillance in Pig Populations: Establishing Sampling Guidelines for Detection in Growing Pigs.

Antemortem detection of infection in swine production systems has relied on antibody testing, but the availability of tests based on DNA detection and novel diagnostic specimens, e.g., tracheal swabs and oral fluids, has the potential to improve surveillance.

Herd-level infectious disease surveillance of livestock populations using aggregate samples.

All sectors of livestock production are in the process of shifting from small populations on many farms to large populations on fewer farms. A concurrent shift has occurred in the number of livestock moved across political boundaries. The unintended consequence of these changes has been the appearance of multifactorial diseases that are resistant to traditional methods of prevention and control.

Detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV)-specific IgM-IgA in oral fluid samples reveals PRRSV infection in the presence of maternal antibody.

The ontogeny of PRRSV antibody in oral fluids has been described using isotype-specific ELISAs. Mirroring the serum response, IgM appears in oral fluid by 7days post inoculation (DPI), IgA after 7 DPI, and IgG by 9 to 10 DPI. Commercial PRRSV ELISAs target the detection of IgG because the higher concentration of IgG relative to other isotypes provides the best diagnostic discrimination.

Sampling guidelines for oral fluid-based surveys of group-housed animals.

Formulas and software for calculating sample size for surveys based on individual animal samples are readily available. However, sample size formulas are not available for oral fluids and other aggregate samples that are increasingly used in production settings. Therefore, the objective of this study was to develop sampling guidelines for oral fluid-based porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) surveys in commercial swine farms.