The University of Guelph in conjunction with OMAFRA and Ontario Pork wish to establish baseline values for Ontario producers for pre-weaning, mortality, nursery mortality, and finisher mortality. Enrolment in this study requires simple weekly reporting of mortalities in the farrowing, nursery, and finisher areas of production. Enrolment is open to all producers regardless of farm size or type provided that weekly mortality in at least one of the 3 areas of  production (farrowing, nursery, and/or finishing) can be recorded and reported weekly.

The OPIC Swine Health Advisory Board (OSHAB) has received a $25,000 grant from the Ontario Pork Producers’ Marketing Board to develop a centralized Ontario PRRSV database in collaboration with the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL), Laboratory Services Division, University of Guelph. This tool has been designed to allow comparisons of percent similarity between PPRSV isolates from farms throughout Ontario. The database is being used by Ontario swine veterinarians and producers to help in understanding viral spread, prevalence and severity of clinical signs seen with specific variants, and is facilitating improved communications between veterinarians.

In vitro-studies were conducted to assess the impact of using bacterial inoculants and enzymes on degradation of starch and phytate-phosphorus and appearance of organic acids and alcohol in high-moisture corn mixed with water in a 1 to 2 ratio. Four starter pig performance studies have been conducted at the Arkell Swine Research Station using the liquid feeding system.

A cross-sectional prevalence study was conducted, based on a convenience sample of 20 pig farms from south-western Ontario, Canada. Nasal and rectal swabs were collected from pigs of three different age groups (suckling pigs, weanling pigs and grower-finisher hogs). Whenever possible, five pigs from each age group were selected using a convenience sampling scheme that avoided sampling more than one pig in co-mingled groups.