BioSec Bob here on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 — let’s get straight to it.
Iowa State University has released a suite of heat stress resources for swine producers as temperatures climb heading into summer. According to Feedstuffs, ISU’s new materials are designed to help operations manage pig welfare and performance during hot weather. The resources cover ventilation strategies, water system management, facility modifications, and protocols for identifying heat-stressed animals. Producers can access guides specific to different barn types and herd sizes. The timing matters — heat stress directly impacts feed intake, weight gain, and reproductive performance, and having actionable protocols in place now means less scrambling when the real heat arrives.
Over to poultry — Arkansas has confirmed its first case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in a commercial flock this year, according to WATTPoultry.com. The detection marks the opening of HPAI season across the U.S. poultry industry. State and federal officials have quarantined the affected operation and begun epidemiological investigation. The Arkansas case puts producers nationwide on alert as migratory bird season continues and wild bird populations remain active.
On that same front, Brownfield Ag News is reporting that spring is prompting a fresh round of biosecurity emphasis from poultry integrators and veterinarians. The season brings increased foot traffic, equipment movement, and bird activity — all vectors for disease introduction. Industry groups are pushing producers to review perimeter fencing, visitor protocols, feed and water line sanitation, and equipment cleaning procedures. Biosecurity breaches often happen in the details, and spring’s busier operational tempo makes consistency harder to maintain.
Shifting hemispheres for a moment — the FAO and USDA have announced a joint effort to contain African swine fever in the Dominican Republic, according to National Hog Farmer. The two organizations are providing technical support, diagnostic capacity, and biosecurity training to Dominican pork producers and government veterinarians. African swine fever has no vaccine and is uniformly fatal to pigs, making prevention the only tool available. The partnership reflects growing recognition that ASF containment in the Caribbean protects mainland U.S. swine operations from potential incursion.
Back to poultry — industry groups are actively reassessing salmonella mitigation strategies in both broilers and layers, Feedstuffs reports. The assessment includes evaluating vaccination programs, feed additives, water treatment protocols, and flock management practices that reduce pathogen pressure. Results so far show variation in effectiveness depending on strain and production type. The poultry sector continues looking for practical ways to reduce salmonella shedding without relying solely on antimicrobial approaches.
And one more from the swine side — Pork Business is examining whether larger market hogs can maintain body temperature effectively under heat stress conditions. The industry has shifted toward heavier carcass weights over the past decade, but bigger animals generate more metabolic heat and have less surface area per unit of body mass for cooling. Research is underway to determine if genetic selection for size has inadvertently reduced heat tolerance and whether nutritional or management adjustments can offset that challenge.
Keep your eyes on both the thermometer and your disease monitors this week.