Smithfield Gift Supports Research Targeting Swine Health

March 25, 2015 — 

A $1.4 million gift from Smithfield Foods Inc. will support research studies in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture & Life Sciences and at the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine that will investigate methods to enhance animal well-being and production efficiency in swine-rearing operations. [Source: Feedstuffs, March 23, 2015]

The contribution, which will be paid over three years, will fund three projects designed to improve health, reduce antibiotic use and find alternative production methods for growing pigs.

One of the studies supported by the gift is led by William S. "Terry" Swecker Jr., a professor in the department of large animal clinical sciences at the veterinary college. It targets strategic intervention for swine influenza virus. Swine flu is easily spread and often leads to secondary infections that are costly to treat.

Mike Zhang, a professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, heads a second study to explore the use of recombinant universal vaccines against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). The syndrome hinders reproduction and results in the loss of many pigs each year.

The third project is a study led by Nammalwar "Nathan" Sriranganathan, a professor of biomedical sciences and pathobiology at the veterinary college, that seeks to determine the viability of developing a recombinant vaccine to control boar taint, an offensive taste or odor that can affect pork made from male pigs.

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