USAHA -- NEWS ALERTS

1. Defending U.S. Swine from Feral Pig Pathogens
What do surveillance test volumes mean for U.S. swine health? USDA's Lynn Wachtman shares how national sample collection is critical to protect the domestic swine herd.
By Jennifer Shike
Pork Business
September 22, 2026

The line separating America's commercial swine herd from a devastating disease outbreak is thinner than many realize. Although the U.S. eradicated pseudorabies (PRV) and swine brucellosis (SBR) from commercial swine years ago, a reservoir persists in feral swine roaming the countryside.

While there is occasional spillover of infection to non-commercial, outdoor herds where contact with feral swine is possible, the confirmed case of PRV in a commercial herd in Iowa-the first since 2004-served as a reminder of the critical interface between wild pigs and domestic pigs.

"The April 2026 pseudorabies confirmation in a commercial herd in Iowa emphasizes the need for strict separation between commercial and non-commercial swine," Lynn Wachtman, veterinary medical officer with USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinary Services, said at the 2026 Allen D. Leman Swine Conference. "This detection also highlights the important role that surveillance programs play in detecting disease quickly and maintaining export markets."

Full text: https://www.porkbusiness.com/news/defending-u-s-swine-feral-pig-pathogens

2. New study reveals gaps in bison parasite management
By Camryn Haines, Texas A&M University
Phys.org
September 22, 2026

Gastrointestinal parasites can cause serious health problems in North American bison, but the drugs producers rely on to control them can become less effective when used too frequently or without knowing which animals actually need treatment.

A new study led by researchers at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) published in Veterinary Parasitology examined how bison producers manage parasites, providing new information that could help researchers develop more targeted approaches to deworming and slow the development of drug resistance.

The findings provide researchers with a clearer picture of how ranched bison are managed across the southern and central United States and highlight opportunities to improve parasite control while protecting the limited drugs available to producers.

"Gastrointestinal nematodes are one of the most economically important health concerns for bison," said Dr. Kaylee Kipp, a recent VMBS doctoral graduate and associate professor of professional practice in ranch management at Texas Christian University. "We have both anecdotal and diagnostic evidence showing that bison seem to have more parasitic issues compared to beef cattle."

Full text: https://phys.org/news/2026-09-reveals-gaps-bison-parasite.html

3. New approach could improve rHVT vaccine production, efficiency
Using a novel diploid growth serum reduced medium increased vaccine titers, improved infectivity and reduced dose variability.
USPOULTRYU.S. Poultry & Egg Association
Feedstuffs
September 22, 2026

A recent study funded by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation has identified a promising approach to improve the production and delivery of recombinant herpesvirus of turkey (rHVT) vaccines, which are widely used to protect poultry against important diseases.

Project # BRU-19, "Improving Efficiency in the Delivery of HVT Vector Vaccines," was led by Dr. Isabel M. Gimeno, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University, College of Veterinary Medicine.

Ensuring poultry receive an accurate and consistent vaccine dose is an important part of effective disease prevention. However, rHVT vaccines present a unique challenge because they are cell-associated, meaning the vaccine virus is contained within living cells. This can make it more difficult to achieve consistent vaccine production and uniform dosing at the hatchery.

Full text: https://www.feedstuffs.com/poultry/new-approach-could-improve-rhvt-vaccine-production-efficiency

4. A horse named Pea is first to test focused ultrasound treatment of skin tumors called sarcoids
A new clinical trial targeting sarcoids - the most common and persistent equine skin tumor - could advance noninvasive tumor therapies for both animals and people.
By Andrew Mann
Virginia Tech News
September 22, 2026

There is no "one-fix-for-all" solution for sarcoids, said Sophie Bogers, an assistant professor of large animal surgery. Many of them require chemotherapy or invasive surgery. But she wants a better solution.

Elsewhere on the Virginia Tech campus, in biomedical engineer Eli Vlaisavljevich's lab, a colleague has what may be that better solution: A technology called histotripsy that uses focused ultrasound to produce a bubble cloud that can break down tumor tissue.

A team of engineers and veterinarians are working together to develop a wearable device that would allow histotripsy to be performed safely on horses. This spring, their system got its first real test on a horse named Pea, a 9-year-old Hanoverian mare who had a tumor on her belly.

"She was really good about it," said Bogers, who led Pea's treatment. "She just stood there, was very happy. She didn't seem to feel or dislike the histotripsy."

Full text: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/09/vetmed-horse-histotripsy.html

5. Avian influenza confirmed in Boone County, Iowa
By Brent Barnett
BrownfieldAgNews.com
September 23, 2026

A new case of highly pathogenic avian influenza has been confirmed this week in central Iowa.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship says the disease was detected in a multi-species backyard flock in Boone County. The department tells Brownfield 138 birds were impacted and will be depopulated.

State Ag Secretary Mike Naig says poultry producers are urged to bolster their biosecurity practices and protocols with the fall migration season underway.

It's the state's first HPAI case since early March and it's the seventh detection overall in Iowa in 2026.

Source: https://www.brownfieldagnews.com/news/avian-influenza-confirmed-in-boone-county-iowa/

6. ZOHU Call: Zoonoses and One Health Update
CDC
September 23, 2026

Presentations:

The emergence and evolution of H5N1 viruses in United States dairy cattle
By Tavis K. Anderson, Ph.D., Research Biologist, National Animal Disease Center
Agricultural Research Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
tavis.anderson@usda.gov

Oh, the Places You'll Go - Cattle movement and H5N1
By Nicki Humphrey, DVM, Veterinarian Specialist Livestock
California Department of Food and Agriculture