Spilled bacteria 🧫

There’s no point in crying over spilled milk… But what about spilled bacteria? An ongoing collaboration between the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) and the Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, at the University of Georgia, is examining the risk of bacterial spillover from North American wild animals into the US swine herds. 

• A huge concern… Because bacteria are responsible for a high degree of morbidity and mortality in swine, which leads to substantial losses to the industry and increased zoonotic risks. And those pathogens are often contracted by domestic pigs from wild animals – directly or indirectly!

🛡 For now, everybody is hoping that the results will yield enhanced information needed to prevent, prepare, and respond to emerging diseases along with their potential impacts on swine health, welfare, and market.