BioSec Bob here on Thursday, April 30, 2026 — let’s dig in.
Starting on the swine side this morning, Mirage News is reporting that veterinary experts are sounding an alarm over what they’re calling a hidden crisis in pig farming — one that’s not making headlines but costs producers real money. The issue centers on production losses that don’t fit neatly into disease categories. We’re talking about performance problems, reduced feed efficiency, and herd setbacks that don’t have a clear diagnostic answer. Experts say the root causes often trace back to management gaps, environmental stress, or subclinical infections that slip past routine monitoring. The takeaway from researchers is that producers need sharper oversight of herd health metrics that sit below the clinical disease threshold — the early warning signs that something’s drifting wrong.
Turning to poultry health, and this one’s getting attention from federal health officials. The CDC is investigating a Salmonella outbreak connected to backyard poultry flocks, according to the Wausau Pilot & Review. The outbreak’s still under investigation, but health officials are working to identify the source and scope. Backyard bird operations have become more common across the country, and Salmonella from those flocks can spread to people through direct contact or contaminated surfaces.
On that same front, ABC News is reporting that the CDC has issued a specific warning about drug-resistant Salmonella infections tied to backyard poultry. Infections linked to these flocks are showing resistance to common antibiotics, which complicates treatment options for human patients. That resistance profile makes this outbreak a public health concern beyond the farm gate — it speaks to how resistant pathogens move through the food system and affect medical options downstream.
Back to swine production, National Hog Farmer is covering the push to move the U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan — known as SHIP — from its pilot phase into formal policy. SHIP was designed as a collaborative framework to strengthen disease surveillance and herd health protocols across the pork industry. The move to institutionalize it means producers could see more standardized health monitoring requirements, data sharing expectations, and biosecurity benchmarks working their way into industry standards and potentially regulatory guidance.
Also worth your calendar: National Hog Farmer is promoting registration for the 2026 ISU McKean Swine Disease Conference. That’s Iowa State University’s annual deep dive into swine disease management and production health. The McKean Conference draws veterinarians, researchers, and producers for detailed sessions on emerging threats and practical herd management strategies. Registration’s open now if you’re looking to sharpen your disease knowledge this year.
And one more from north of the border — SaskToday.ca is reporting that the Prairie Swine Centre in Saskatchewan is celebrating 35 years of operation. The center’s been a research hub for swine genetics, nutrition, and health innovation serving Canadian and U.S. producers. Three and a half decades of data and breeding work out of one facility is a solid track record for moving the needle on production efficiency.
Keep your birds and pigs under close watch right now — disease pressures are real.