In this episode of The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, Rick Hernandez from Purdue University discusses the challenges of transporting pigs and how microclimate conditions impact welfare and productivity. He shares research findings on heat stress, ventilation, and why standardized measures are needed to better monitor transport conditions. Learn about practical solutions and future technologies to safeguard swine health during transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

"If you look at the physiological indicators after transportation, you're going to find higher creatine kinase, higher blood lactate, higher skin temperature, and blood cortisol."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Rick Hernandez, a veterinarian from Colombia, is a PhD candidate at Purdue University specializing in swine welfare and genetics. His research explores welfare challenges across farms, transport, and slaughter, focusing on practical strategies to improve both animal well-being and production outcomes. Dedicated to applied science, he works to make research accessible for producers, veterinarians, and caretakers.

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:04) Introduction
• (02:28) Pig transport stress
• (04:55) Microclimate impact
• (04:43) Welfare indicators
• (08:32) Standardized measures
• (11:58) Ventilation solutions
• (14:59) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Elanco

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. Guilherme Cezar from Iowa State University shares insights from the Dynamic Pig Health Project, which tracks how multiple pathogens interact and impact pig performance. He explains how co-infections influence mortality rates, what diagnostic data reveals, and why pathogen timing plays a critical role in disease outcomes. Learn practical strategies to strengthen biosecurity and reduce losses. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Batches shedding higher levels of PCV2 and Lawsonia showed mortality above 15%, showing how co-infections sharply increase pig losses."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Guilherme Cezar earned his DVM in Brazil and holds a Master’s in Veterinary Preventive Medicine from Iowa State University, where he is now pursuing his Ph.D. His research focuses on swine diseases, epidemiology, and the dynamics of pathogen interactions in pig production. He coordinates the Swine Disease Reporting System and leads applied research projects in the field.

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

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

Dr. Tyler Bauman: PRRS Control in Grow-Finish Pigs | Ep. 156

What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (01:01) Introduction
• (02:51) Dynamic Pig Health Project
• (05:19) Diagnostic strategies
• (08:01) Mortality risk factors
• (09:16) Farm-level impacts
• (10:36) Targeting key pathogens
• (13:10) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Elanco

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. Mariana Kikuti from the University of Minnesota explains how PRRSV variant classification is structured and how it supports more effective monitoring of disease outbreaks in swine herds. She shares how lineage and variant tracking improve virus identification and situational awareness. Discover how real-time data enables smarter decision-making in swine health. Listen now on all major platforms!

"We want to report monthly, close to real-time, what we're seeing in the field regarding circulation of different PRRSV variants."

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁: Dr. Mariana Kikuti is an Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Veterinary Population Medicine. With a background in veterinary public health and epidemiology, she specializes in monitoring PRRS virus variants and improving disease awareness across the U.S. swine industry.

Click here to learn more!

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What you will learn:

• (00:00) Highlight
• (00:54) Introduction
• (02:13) Variant classification explained
• (05:50) PRRSV monitoring systems
• (07:43) Risk prediction modeling
• (08:24) Regional virus tracking
• (09:20) Variant risk criteria
• (13:09) Closing thoughts

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

* Boehringer Ingelheim

- Elanco

𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗱𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝘀, 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺.

Website: The Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast

Instagram: Swine Campus

LinkedIn: Swine Campus