In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Arthur Finatto, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Saskatchewan, explores the role of porcine beta-defensin peptides in boosting swine immunity. He explains how these molecules fight both bacterial and viral infections, modulate inflammation, and offer promise for swine dysentery management. Learn how genetic selection and nutrition could optimize their expression. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Porcine β-defensin five is a naturally produced peptides that help pigs combat bacterial and viral infections at a cellular level."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Arthur Finatto earned his D.V.M. from Universidade de Passo Fundo, an M.Sc. in Animal Welfare & Epigenetics from the University of São Paulo, and a Ph.D. in Swine Health from the University of Saskatchewan. Now a postdoctoral researcher in swine health and immunology, his work explores host defense peptides and mucosal immunity.

Click here to read the full research articles:

Porcine β-defensin 5 (pBD-5) modulates the inflammatory and metabolic host intestinal response to infection

Active Participatory Regional Surveillance for Notifiable Swine Pathogens

To learn more, visit:

US Swine Health Improvement Plan

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:06) Introduction
• (02:33) Porcine defensin discovery
• (04:05) Mechanism of action
• (06:26) Breed and nutritional impact
• (08:36) Swine dysentery link
• (10:46) Future applications
• (12:06) Closing thoughts

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Farm Health Guardian

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

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In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Mariamawit Mohammed from Iowa State University shares her work on pathogen diversity in Live Virus Inoculation (LVI) materials. Using next-generation sequencing (NGS), she discusses the variability in LVI materials used in the swine industry, highlighting pathogen risks and implications for herd health. Learn how LVI practices may influence herd stability and loss rates. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The recommendation would be to really make sure that we have a pure, good quality LVI. If we manage to keep doing that, we can reach a good time to stability sooner with fewer losses."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Mariamawit Zekarias Mohammed is a postgraduate student and researcher at Iowa State University, with a focus on the genome of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). She earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in Ethiopia. Her work evaluates PRRSV lineages, LVI preparation methods, and pathogen variability.

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Dr. Chris Rademacher: Practical Sow Health Tips | Ep. 125

Dr. Pablo Piñeyro: PCV4 & Co-infections | Ep. 139

Dr. Reid Philips: PRRS Vaccine Efficacy | Ep. 143

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:40) Introduction
• (02:08) Research on LVI materials
• (03:20) Scope of research & findings
• (04:53) Variations in LVI preparation
• (06:07) Pathogens discovered in LVI
• (08:15) Implications for herd health
• (10:35) Closing thoughts

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Farm Health Guardian

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus

In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Sebastiaan Theuns, veterinarian, CEO and co-founder of PathoSense, a spinoff from Ghent University, explains how nanopore sequencing is transforming the diagnosis of complex swine diseases. He discusses the limitations of targeted PCR testing, the advantages of whole-sample sequencing, and how new pathogens can be identified through comprehensive data analysis. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We developed a complete diagnostic platform from field sampling to lab sequencing that identifies all viruses and bacteria without needing prior selection."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Sebastiaan Theuns is a veterinarian, CEO and co-founder of PathoSense, a spin-off from Ghent University delivering full-spectrum diagnostics using nanopore sequencing. His work focuses on redefining how swine health practitioners detect complex infectious diseases without relying on targeted testing.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:16) Introduction
• (03:06) Nanopore sequencing explained
• (04:28) Diagnostic insights
• (05:21) Choosing better samples
• (06:37) Diagnostic turnaround time
• (07:24) Cost and accessibility
• (13:26) Closing thoughts

The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast is trusted and supported by innovative companies like:

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Farm Health Guardian

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus