In its January newsletter, the Swine Health Information Center outlines progress in the work it conducted on behalf of the US swine sector during 2018.

Swine Health Information Center Executive Director Dr Paul Sundberg says, as planning moves forward for 2019, the 2018 report summarises developments last year.

Dr Sundberg says, "In 2018 we accomplished quite a bit.

"We tested and refined the rapid response teams and the rapid response programme, and we looked at filling the gaps in research for diagnostics for a variety of different diseases.

"We expanded our disease reporting process in reporting domestic diseases. We expanded reporting on those diseases in the US through collaboration with the veterinary diagnostic labs. We also expanded the international disease reporting system so we could keep track of what's going on in other parts of the world."

Especially In 2018 there was a lot of interest in African swine fever as it moved in Europe and broke into China, Dr Sundberg explains.

"The whole report can be found on swinehealth.org so anybody that's interested can go to the Swine Health site to see all of the things that SHIC accomplished in 2018."

Dr Sundberg suggests reviewing the 2018 plan of work and the 2018 results. He also encourages people to look at what was attempted in 2018 and provide feedback and offer ideas for moving forward.

As reported by Bruce Cochrane for Farmscape.ca