Location: Environmentally Integrated Dairy Management Research
Project Number: 5090-12630-006-027-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Aug 1, 2024
End Date: Jul 31, 2025
Objective:
Assess plausibility of within-herd pathogen transmission from land-applied livestock manure via groundwater from private wells within commercial swine herds in Iowa.
Approach:
Groundwater samples collected from swine farms following manure application will be analyzed for swine pathogens and swine-specific microbial source-tracking (MST) markers. Groundwater samples from private wells on commercial swine farms will be collected by dead-end ultrafiltration in spring and fall of 2024. Collaborators will collect samples from flame-sterilized outdoor taps. Samples will be analyzed for porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2), Salmonella spp., enteropathogenic E. coli, rotavirus C, influenza A, Cryptosporidium spp., and two types of pig Bacteroidales (swine MST markers). Collaborators will work with ARS to summarize and analyze data, prepare extension materials for communication with swine production industry, prepare conference presentations as opportunities arise, and prepare one or more peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts for publication.
