Special Report

Swine Health Information Center opening in July

The first director of the new Swine Health Information Center, or SHIC, says it’s an outgrowth of lessons learned from the PEDv outbreak.

Dr. Paul Sundberg is leaving his post as Vice President of Science and Technology at the National Pork Board and tells Brownfield the Check Off-funded Center will focus on being better prepared for the next PED-type threat.

“There are going to be three things that we’re going to do: one is we’re going to look around the world and form a network so we can be better informed about viruses that are circulating, and are likely to come into the country.”

The second primary focus will be on putting more money towards diagnostic research.

“Have diagnostics better in place for that next virus when it comes in.  We wasted some time developing the diagnostics for PED when it got here.”

And the third effort will be fostering ways for producers to better communicate with each other about diseases and the health of their pigs.

SHIC will officially launch the first of July and the National Pork Board is currently searching for Sundberg’s replacement.