African swine fever and Strep suis hot topics at 2019 Leman Conference
The threat of African swine fever and its impact on the global protein market will be among several keynote lectures planned during the upcoming 2019 Allen D Leman Swine Conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, 14-17 September.
28 June 2019
3 minute read
By: More than 1,000 swine veterinarians, producers and industry leaders from the US and 20+ countries are expected to attend.
“We will have a mix of different keynotes with the latest in swine health, disease, production and the markets so there is something for everyone,” reported programme chair Montse Torremorell, DVM, PhD, associate professor at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine organises the annual four-day event.
New this year will be a carcass-cutting demonstration at the end of the conference. “We wanted people to leave with something special; and while this is preaching to the choir, we don’t always remember how to take apart pieces of meat from the carcass,” Torremorell told Pig Health Today.
Headline speakers
The keynote lecture on African swine fever (ASF) and the markets will be presented by Christine McCracken, senior analyst – animal protein, RaboBank.
Another keynote address by Connie Gebhart, PhD, University of Minnesota, offers insight into the pathogen Streptococcus suis. A keynote lecture regarding Smithfield Foods’ uses of science and technology to improve pork will be presented by Terry Coffey, chief science and technology officer.
On the production side, University of Illinois professor Mike Ellis, PhD, will discuss new research providing opportunities to decrease pre-weaning mortality.
Scientific sessions
More work on ASF, including how to live with it and what is being done to keep the disease out of the US, will be discussed during some of the 20+ breakout sessions, which are presented by veterinarians and other scientists.
Other topics in the sessions include research on porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, influenza and mycoplasma; pig survival from birth to market; production models; antibiotic-resistance trends; emergency planning for natural diseases and for disease defence; recruiting and retaining employees; and feed biosecurity.
Pre-conference learning
The pre-conference begins Saturday with a reproduction workshop and a hands-on data-analysis workshop to determine the risk of ASF.
Workshops held Sunday morning will cover how to work with people to improve biosecurity. In the afternoon, veterinary students and researchers will give short presentations.
For more information on the Allen D Leman Swine Conference, click here.
