ONE Health Live
Examining the issues of importance to animals, humans and the environment to help those across the food production system better understand the issues from a science-based perspective.
ONE Health Live
One Health Approach: Pork industry prepares for H5N1
The specter of H5N1 virus hangs over U.S. agriculture, but the pork industry isn't waiting to take action. Following a recent detection in pigs on a small Oregon homestead farm, livestock organizations are mobilizing to prepare for potential spread through a collaborative, science-driven approach.
Dr. Heather Fowler and Dr. Marisa Rotolo from the National Pork Board reveal how the industry is developing a comprehensive H5N1 response plan through collaboration. Their work bridges the National Pork Producers Council, Swine Health Information Center, American Association of Swine Veterinarians, and the Meat Institute to create unified protocols that protect both animal and human health.
At the heart of this preparation is the One Health philosophy—a framework recognizing the inseparable connections between human health, animal health, and environmental conditions. As Dr. Fowler explains, "We can't just live in our silos... we have to look at it simultaneously." This approach proves especially relevant for influenza, where transmission can occur between species sharing environments. For producers, this means evaluating biosecurity measures with fresh eyes—repairing bird netting, addressing structural vulnerabilities, and carefully managing movements between facilities. Even with the swine industry's already stringent protocols, experts emphasize that pathogens evolve rapidly, necessitating continuous learning and adaptation.
Whether you're a commercial producer, small farm operator, or concerned consumer, this episode offers clear guidance on preventing disease spread while maintaining a safe food supply. Join us for an illuminating discussion on how agriculture is leading the way in preparing for potential pandemic threats. Want to stay informed about agricultural health issues? Subscribe to One Health Live on your favorite podcast platform.
US health officials continue to warn of a potential pandemic from the H5N1 virus. The National Pork Board, together with other livestock organizations, is preparing for just that. Welcome to One Health Live, where we examine the topics of importance to animals, humans and the environment. Our goal is to help those across the food production system better understand the issues at hand from a science-based perspective. In One Health Live, we strive to be thought-provoking and fact-based, as we bring you the latest in news and insight. I'm Sarah Muirhead, and with me today is One Health Live co -host, Anne Hess. Anne, go ahead and do the honors of introducing our guests today.
Ann Hess:Well, we have Dr Heather Fowler, Director of Producer and Public Health for the National Pork Board, along with Dr Marisa Rotolo, Director of Swine Health for the National Pork Board. They're here with us to shed some additional light on Pork Board's role in protecting both people and pigs when it comes to transmissible diseases such as H5N1. Dr Rotolo, before we get into that plan, we should probably mention that we did have a case in the United States where H5N1 spread to pigs on a small homestead farm in Oregon. Walk us through that outbreak and what the swine industry learned from that case.
Dr Marisa Rotolo:First, I wouldn't necessarily call it an outbreak. I would call it a detection that we had in a few pigs that were not in the commercial herd. And how that came about is they? They noticed, the producers noticed some animals that had passed away, some birds that passed away, and contacted their state vet for an investigation. That's just exactly what we want to happen, right? They were monitoring their animals. They saw something that didn't quite jive with what they were expecting and they contacted the appropriate animal health authorities in order to investigate that.
Dr Marisa Rotolo:This detection gave us a chance to work with our animal health officials, as well as the producer in question, to really understand more about H5N1 and its potential impact to the US commercial herd. It told us that the messaging that we have out there is working Keep looking at your animals, be focused on biosecurity and if there's something that doesn't fit within normal, make sure to contact your animal health organization. It also gave us some motivation to continue to keep working towards an H5N1 response plan and making sure that all producers not only our commercial herds but our small holdings have access to resources to help them prevent H5N1.
Ann Hess:Dr Fowler to expand upon that. While it's not yet, you know, in a US commercial herds livestock organizations are coming together to draft that response plan and the goal of opening a dialogue between industry, animal health and public health to determine future actions and align on a response consistent with a One Health approach. Before we get into the specifics of that plan, walk us through the philosophy behind a One Health approach and why it's important as an industry to look at transmissible disease in this way.
Dr Heather Fowler:So One Health refers to the connections between human health, animal health and environmental health, and in areas where all three of these sectors are represented, such as animal agriculture, it's important to look at all of the sectors simultaneously, and that's really what the One Health approach is all about.
Dr Heather Fowler:It says we can't just live in our silos and only focus on swine health, but worker safety is over here and environmental stewardship is here. We have to look at it simultaneously, and I would say that our producers are doing that every single day. They recognize, in order to produce a nutritious product, that they have to raise animals in such a way that optimizes health and welfare, but also protect the people on their farms right, and the public health as well, right. So making sure they're using products appropriately. So influenza is just another example of how we apply the One Health approach on farm and influenza prevention, especially so as we think about this current outbreak that we're seeing in other species. Right, we're making sure that we have all the steps in place to make sure that we can also implement that One Health approach if there were to be an introduction on our commercial products.
Sarah Muirhead:One Health, as you mentioned, brings together that environmental component. When we're talking about this influenza initiative, how much does the environmental play in that and how so does environment play in that?
Dr Heather Fowler:Yeah, so the environment is key, right, when we think of pigs and transmission between pigs. Right, we're talking about this shared environment where pigs live. If we think about nearby farms and what our environment, how our industry is set up, we can think about those connections there. And then when we think of worker safety, that workplace environment is where pigs and people come together and that's where we can potentially see transmission. We've seen it in the poultry space, We've seen it in dairy. So it's the key area where we want to intercept or intervene and prevent any transmission person to pig, pig to person right? So it's the perfect place where we can make sure that we have a positive impact.
Sarah Muirhead:So walk us through where the pork industry is in terms of its preparation for a potential pandemic resulting from H5N1. Where are you at in that process?
Dr Marisa Rotolo:Pork industry representatives, including National Pork Producers Council, which has really led this effort. Dr Anna Forseth has really spearheaded this response, and then we've also have collaboration with SHIC, the Swine Health Information Center, AASB, the American Association of Swine Veterinarians, National Corp Board, of course, and as well as the Meat Institute and our public health veterinarians as well. We've included a lot of people into the conversation in order to develop a response plan for H5N1 that we can share with USDA for educational purposes. The swine industry itself has been managing influenza A for a really long time. We know how to handle H1N1 or the different swine flu viruses that we have, right. And now it's how do we take the tools that we have and apply them to something like H5N1, which is technically a foreign animal disease, right? So, taking our ASF response guides that we've been working on all of that preparation and applying it to H5N1 and pulling in the information that we already know from managing influenza A virus.
Ann Hess:You have quite a few groups there collaborating. What is Pork Board's specific role in this discussion?
Dr Marisa Rotolo:As Pork Board, our job is to represent the interests of the producers as well as the pigs that they raise. So for us, we're bringing in information as it relates to what are the challenges that our producers are going to have, as well as what are the disease interventions that we can do for influenza A.
Sarah Muirhead:So then, Dr Fowler frame up for us the risk for the pork industry related to H5N1, to the virus, and what is it that pork producers need to be aware of? When it comes to, say, wild waterfowl or other poultry, or even contaminated food or water? What should they be paying particular attention to?
Dr Heather Fowler:I may actually pass this over to Dr Rotolo. I can tell you, from a human health, public health perspective, our producers, one should make sure that they're washing their hands, that they're staying home when they're sick, going to the doctor, especially if they think they have flu-like symptoms, making sure they can get an early diagnosis if, for instance, they happen to have this strain that we've been following over the past year. But we know from the swine health perspective that there are some signs and actions that producers should be aware of and working to prevent. So, marisa, I will pass that to you Again. It's really as we think about working in a One Health way. No one person could be that expert. We have that team across the industry and even within the National Pork Board. There is some redundancy there, but it's better as a partnership to make sure that we're taking a deep dive in all those different areas. So I'll let Dr Rotolo cover the swine health specific signs that our producers should be aware of health specific signs that our producers should be aware of.
Dr Marisa Rotolo:So for our swine producers, it's a little. It's a little bit tricky because we're not quite sure how this is going to present in swine, right? So the most important thing that we can do right now is tell our producers to stay in touch with their veterinarians, stay in tuned with the information that's available out there. We have a really good influenza landing page on porkcheckofforg that provides a lot of resources as it relates to H5N1, as well as influenza management in general, and so, for all the producers out there, the main focus is biosecurity making sure you're reducing that interaction or preventing that interaction between your pigs and any other susceptible species, such as wild birds or even rodents or pests, right, and so making sure that your barns are in good repair, your bird netting doesn't have a lot of holes in it. Making sure, if you've got a door that might have a hole in it, it's time to replace that door. So really taking this as an opportunity to shore up that division between your pigs and any other potential animals.
Sarah Muirhead:Now you might also have some producers that have poultry and have pigs. Any special precautions there? I mean they might not even be on the same farm but they might have trucks or they might have people going between operations. I know I heard this morning I was at a conference about, you know, a food truck who was going between various operations and actually was a cause of some transfer of certain viruses. So anything that maybe people don't often think about but should when we have these situations.
Dr Marisa Rotolo:Right, it's just identifying your potential gaps in your biosecurity plan. So, taking this as an opportunity to evaluate the biosecurity on your site. Looking at your transport, do you have any opportunities to potentially improve how you're doing your transport? Do you make sure that you're following your health pyramid as you're doing those feed deliveries, as you're doing those animal movements? A really good resource that we have available is the Secure Pork Supply Plan, which not only covers an enhanced biosecurity program for foreign animal disease, but also endemic diseases. So it's really a one-two punch for producers as a resource in terms of wanting to improve or evaluate their biosecurity on their sites.
Ann Hess:You know, some might say the pork industry already has stringent biosecurity procedures in place and have had for some time. Are those considered sufficient when it comes to keeping H5N1 out of a hog barn?
Dr Marisa Rotolo:efficient when it comes to keeping H5N1 out of a hog barn. The beautiful thing about the swine industry is that we do have a really strong background and implementation of biosecurity. The one thing I would caution all producers and, honestly, anyone working in animal health or working with pathogens is pathogens evolve at a much quicker rate than we do, and so it's always a good idea to stay up to date on the resources that are out there, up to date on the research that's being done. I currently manage the Swine Disease Research Task Force at National Pork Board and we're a group of producers, experts and subject producers, experts and veterinarians, and we regularly meet to discuss research priorities, and one of those is always biosecurity. Do we have an opportunity to improve our biosecurity with the knowledge that we've gained from working with these different pathogens? And I think the same applies for H5N1. We reserve the right to get smarter, and the best way to do that is to continue to allocate research dollars to research to improve our knowledge of these pathogens and potential interventions, such as biosecurity.
Ann Hess:Anything else that the pork industry or those supplying the industry should know or keep in mind when it comes to H5N1? Dr Fowler, let's start with you.
Dr Heather Fowler:Yeah, I just want to drive home. It's important to stay vigilant. Don't just assume you've seen it before. You know what it is right away For producers. Work with your veterinarians around signs that you're seeing in your herd. Make sure that you're working with them to submit the appropriate samples. If you're feeling ill, again, stay home. If you're sick during flu season, which is generally October to April, make sure you get your flu shot. And then, if you do come down with any flu-like symptoms and we know those are vague, right Coughs, sneeze, runny nose, muscle aches, red eyes, those types of things Go to your doctor and let them know that you work on a hog farm, because sometimes their list of differentials might change depending on what they think your exposures are. So, again from a kind of human animal health perspective, making sure that we're working to protect people, pigs and planet and stay vigilant in that regard dr rotolo anything to add?
Dr Marisa Rotolo:I'd say the most important thing right now is for the producers to stay engaged with their veterinarians, as well as the new cycles that's out there, keeping in touch with National Pork Board on our influenza landing page at porkcheckofforg to stay ahead of all the information that's out there and, if you see seeing clinical signs of anything, making sure that you're getting in contact with your herd veterinarian and following up with them to see you know what's going on. Is this normal? Is this not normal? How can I help to improve the health of my pigs?
Sarah Muirhead:Very good, Lots of great information here today. We sincerely appreciate the time that you, Dr Fowler, and you, Dr Rotolo, has spent with us here today, both with the National Pork Board. As noted One, Health is a very important approach on how we look at some of these issues and we appreciate you taking the time to put this in that perspective for us, For those of you that have joined us. We appreciate you as well. If you want to subscribe, subscribe to this podcast on your favorite podcast channel. Until next time, have a great day and thank you for listening.