LIMA, Ohio — Ohio pork producers should review their biosecurity plans and prepare for worst-case scenarios from emerging diseases like the bird flu, according to veterinarians who spoke at the recent gathering of the state’s pork producers.
Panel discussions and presentations at the recent Swine Health Symposium — part of the two-day Ohio Pork Congress, held Feb.4 and 5, in Lima, Ohio — focused on the threat posed by the expanding outbreak of H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza devastating poultry flocks and infecting mammals around the world.
Ohio currently leads the country in bird flu detections with more than 60 flocks in western Ohio testing positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus in little over six weeks. More than 11.5 million birds in the infected flocks have been culled to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Pigs are at risk,” said Anna Forseth, DVM, director of animal health with the National Pork Producers Council. Ohio has more than 2.7 million hogs, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
As of now, there is no official recommendation from the USDA or other agencies for how to manage H5N1 if it enters the swine population. While poultry operations immediately depopulate, or rapidly destroy a large group of animals, once an infection is confirmed, dairy farms have treated cows for illness, allowing the animals to recover.
Veterinarians at the symposium focused on reviewing and enhancing farm biosecurity programs but also cautioned farmers to prepare for the depopulation of animals, just in case.
Depopulation
The Ohio Pork Council is working with the Ohio Department of Agriculture on recommendations for managing HPAI should it enter the swine population. However, those recommendations are not yet publicly available.
Bethany Heitkamp, a veterinarian at Cooper Farms, gave attendees a glimpse into the challenges of depopulating a large poultry flock after a bird flu infection struck one of their facilities.
Heitkamp is one of three veterinarians at Cooper Farms, where they care for 30,000 sows and 800,000 market hogs, as well as 6 million turkeys and 6 million laying hens.
“Once there was positive diagnosis, depopulation needed to take place within 24 to 48 hours in order to prevent spread of the disease,” she said. “There is paperwork that has to be signed. A representative from the USDA must be present before depopulation can start.”
The USDA and state departments of agriculture don’t have teams to help carry out depopulation on farms. While a representative is there to make sure rules are followed, all equipment, labor and personal protective equipment must be provided by the farmer or company.
Cooper Farms needed additional potable toilets, dumpsters, portable shower trailers, extra water sources (which were accommodated in part by a local fire department in a Foreign Animal Disease response exercise) as well as food for the workers, which needed to be provided on-site so workers didn’t need to leave the property, Heitkamp said. She recommended finding suppliers in advance.
“Keep in mind that regular services such as portable toilets and dumpsters may be hard to get,” she said.
At one point, 67% of their farm was in the control zone, which made moving eggs or birds difficult.
“We had enough personnel to provide continuation of business during depopulation,” Heitkamp added. She suggested assigning specific roles to people in any biosecurity plan: someone in charge of getting permits, while others are focused on maintaining continuity of business, for example.
Swine health
The ongoing outbreak of H5N1 bird flu hit the U.S. in February 2022 and has since been found in 1,582 flocks in all 50 states, and impacted 162.6 million domestic poultry. It is extremely contagious and deadly and can wipe out entire poultry flocks within days.
The spread of bird flu into mammals has concerned some researchers who have raised alarms about the possibility of H5N1 reassorting in swine. Pigs are a mixing vessel for influenza because they can be infected with multiple types of influenza at once.
Marisa Rotolo, DVM, director of swine health for the National Pork Board reminded attendees of the history of influenza in swine. Some researchers believe the 1918-1919 pandemic started in Kansas with a variety of avian influenza that moved to swine and then to people. U.S. soldiers carried the virus to Europe, where it spread rapidly and became known as the Spanish Flu. Mortality estiments vary from 25 million to 50 million deaths.
The current HPAI outbreak is especially troubling because of the infection of mammals around the globe. In March 2024, H5N1 was found in dairy cows in the U.S. It has since been found in 972 herds in 17 states.
The bird flu has also spilled over into humans, with 68 confirmed cases and eight probable cases of bird flu in humans, including one case in a poultry farm worker in Mercer County, Ohio.
Rotolo recommended establishing biosecurity protocols that limit outside visitors from entering hog facilities. The concern, though, is not as much for the workers as for the pigs.
“Human-to-pig infection is more likely than swine to people,” Rotolo said. She encouraged producers — and their employees — to take advantage of annual flu vaccinations to prevent spreading illness to their herds.
“Vaccines should be a tool in the toolbox for managing disease,” said Forseth.
Preparation
No matter how prepared you think you are, you’re never prepared enough, warned Nathan Isler, a Marion County pork producer who also raises poultry. Isler’s farm participated in an exercise sponsored by the Pork Council designed to prepare them for a Foreign Animal Disease response.
“I thought I was better prepared,” he said, during the symposium. “I didn’t know some of the steps existed.”
As part of the exercise, their farm practiced operating separate facilities to keep healthy animals away from the sick animals in the control zone. Employees worked with either ill animals or healthy animals, not both, to prevent cross-contamination. Isler realized several unanticipated problems, like how to safely feed animals in both locations and the complex logistics of planning to depopulate animals.
“A large number of animals can require 20 to 40 acres for composting,” Isler said. “And the work is physically exhausting.”
Panelist Lucas Buehler, DVM, with Four Star Veterinary Service in Chickasaw, Ohio, encouraged producers to establish a biosecurity plan and prepare for the worst. He recommended reviewing plans yearly and updating them as necessary. The plan should include communications strategies, as well as logistics.
“Be a good neighbor,” he added. “Let nearby farms know about any positive diagnoses.”
Depending on the animal and the disease, plans should also include strategies for depopulation and disposal.
“Understand what you’re responsible for,” Buehler said. While some agencies like the USDA and AVMA may provide advice, farmers are responsible for their animals.
Isler reminded farmers to prepare for the cost as well. While insurance or the USDA may provide payments to defray loss, those won’t come until after the depopulation and disposal are complete.
“Remember, you have no animals to sell, and you’re paying for disposal and employee salaries,” he said.
