PRRS-Free Herd Certification to be Made Available
CANADA - Swine producers in western Canada will soon have the opportunity to certify their herds are free of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory syndrome, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Ensuring Replacement Pigs are PRRS-Free
CANADA - The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board hopes a new certification programme will provide western Canadian pork producers a reasonable level of confidence that the pigs they buy are free of PRRS,...

Views Sought on Alternative PRRS Sampling Tools
CANADA - The Canadian Swine Health Board (CSHB) is supporting a review of alternatives to jugular blood sampling for porcine reproductive respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus (PRRSv) testing.

Vesicular Disease Awareness Bulletin Released
CANADA – The pork industry is now receiving new Swine Health Awareness Bulletins, the first of which covers vesicular diseases.

PRRS-Free Herd Certification Pilot Project
CANADA - The Saskatchewan Pork Development Board hopes to begin testing swine herds in western Canada for PRRS-Free Herd Certification within the next few months, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Exploring Alternative Sow Housing Options
CANADA - Researchers with the University of Manitoba have kicked off a study intended to provide pork producers options for switching from conventional to group systems for housing gestating sows, writes...

Key to Minimising Losses Resulting from FMD
CANADA - The chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board says early detection and quick response are key to limiting the losses that would be caused by an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, according to...

New TOPIGS Nucleus Farm in Canada
CANADA - TOPIGS has purchased a new nucleus farm in Canada named Windy Acres near the village Malonton in Northern Manitoba.

Canadian Pork Industry Statement on Federal Budget
CANADA - The Canadian Pork Council reviewed Tuesday's federal government budget with great interest. The government confirmed its commitment to address emerging swine health issues and the need for Canada...

Risk of Foreign Animal Disease Entering N America
CANADA - The chair of the Canadian Swine Health Board says the rise in international people travel and increased international trade in goods has raised the risk of a foreign animal disease entering Canada,...

Cleaning Trucks Before Entering into Farms
CANADA - Manitoba Pork Council is encouraging pork producers to step up their vigilance in ensuring the trucks that haul hogs from their farms do not bring in disease, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Health Board Issues Swine Health Awareness Bulletin
CANADA - The Canadian Swine Health Board has issued a Swine Health Awareness Bulletin aimed at familiarising pork producers with the symptoms of foot and mouth disease, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Maple Leaf Encourages Needle-Free Technology
CANADA - Maple Leaf Consumer Foods is encouraging pork producers who ship hogs to its processing plants to consider the adoption of needle-free technology for the administration of vaccines and medications...

New Pfizer Swine Manager for Manitoba
CANADA - Dennis Stevenson joined Pfizer Animal Health's swine business unit as Territory Manager for Manitoba, effective 14 February 2011.

Manitoba Sow Deaths Caused by Rare Actinobacillus
CANADA - Manitoba researchers have published a paper that reveals Actinobacillus equuli as a primary pathogen in breeding sows and piglets.

Eliminating Castration to Reduce Boar Taint Has Advantages
CANADA - An animal science professor with the University of Guelph says eliminating the need for castration to reduce the potential for boar taint in pork promises a range of advantages, writes Bruce Cochrane....

TGE: Opportunity to Test Traceability Protocols
CANADA - Manitoba's Chief Veterinary Office reports an outbreak of TGE last year provided an opportunity to test traceability protocols designed to protect the public from new and emerging animal diseases,...

New Combination Vaccines Make Flu Protection Easier
CANADA - Two new swine vaccines make it easier for Canadian swine producers to include flu protection in their vaccination programmes.

Confidence Boosted in Efforts to Gain Control of PRRS
CANADA - A south-western Ontario-based swine veterinarian says improved biosecurity and better tools for diagnosing and controlling PRRS are fueling a greater level of optimism among pork producers in...

Vectors Complicate Elimination Efforts for PRRS
CANADA - A professor with the University of Minnesota says the wide range of vectors through which PRRS can spread poses the biggest challenge for regional efforts to control the disease, Bruce Cochrane...

Surveillance for Notifiable Diseases Gets a Boost
CANADA - Canada is enhancing the way it monitors the national swine herd for federally reportable swine diseases: CFIA is collecting blood samples from mature pigs at slaughter houses during January...

Expectations from New Level-3 Biocontainment Lab
CANADA - The construction of a 150 million dollar level-3 biocontainment laboratory in Saskatoon is expected to dramatically improve the ability of researchers to safely work with new or emerging diseases,...

New System Expected to Make Disease Control Easier
CANADA - The general manager of Steinbach, Manitoba based Paradigm Agri-Solutions says a new technology for collecting blood samples from swine makes controlling disease easier and more humane, according...

Confidence in Needle-Free Injection Builds Up
CANADA - The regional marketing and technical services manager with AcuShot reports interest among swine producers in the use of needle free administration of veterinary compounds continues to grow, writes...

Producers Encouraged to Participate in PRRS Project
CANADA - The facilitator of the Western Canada PRRS-Free Herd Certification Pilot Project is encouraging participation among all western Canadian pork producers, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Reduction of Dust Levels in Livestock Barns
CANADA - A new technology designed to reduce the level of airborne contaminants within livestock barns offers improved comfort for animals and barn workers and improved productivity, writes Bruce Coch...

Pork Producers Adopt Pulse NeedleFree Technology
MANITOBA, CANADA - The Manitoba Pork Council has announced that one-fourth of all Manitoba pork producers are using needle-free delivery technology in their vaccination programmes.

Needle-Free Injection Expected to Gain Popularity
CANADA - A Steinbach-based swine veterinarian expects needle-free administration of veterinary compounds to gain in popularity as equipment costs come down, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Biosecurity Standard for Pork Producers
CANADA - The Canadian Swine Health Board is confident a new biosecurity standard for pork producers will assist in minimizing the spread of disease, writes Bruce Cochrane.

Support for All Risk Mortality Insurance Applauded
MANITOBA, CANADA - Manitoba's pork producers are applauding the provincial government's support for the creation of all risk mortality insurance for the hog sector, writes Bruce Cochrane.