The 21st annual NAPRRS/NC229 International Conference of Swine Viral Diseases, held in Chicago, Illinois, on December 7 through 9, drew more than 130 attendees, from pork producers and veterinarians to professionals who work in research, academic, government, and industry settings. The event, hosted by the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, spotlighted recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus and PRRSV-1 in Europe.
The conference, designed for the global swine viral disease research community, uniquely addresses basic research, diagnostics, and disease control at the point of production. This year it attracted participants from China, Denmark, Japan, Mexico, Slovakia, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
“Our college boasts a number of faculty members who are internationally recognized for their work on swine viral infections and vaccines,” said Peter Constable, dean of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. “The annual NAPRRS/NC229 conference provides an additional avenue of impact by uniting experts from around the world to share findings and advance innovative science in support of the global pork industry.”
Special Recognition
Two industry leaders were recognized with Fellow Awards at the conference’s closing banquet.
Dr. Jay Calvert, an Illinois native, was recognized for his three decades as a PRRS researcher in the pharmaceutical industry, where he partnered with the global research community to develop effective vaccines. Since 1994, when he took a position with SmithKline Beecham Animal Health (SBAH), he has focused his research on PRRSV, even as the company he worked for transition to Pfizer and then to Zoetis. Dr. Calvert determined one of the first full-length sequences of a PRRSV-2 virus and completed the first full-length cDNA infectious clone of PRRSV-2. His characterization of important receptors for PRRSV and the distribution of relevant reagents accelerated important discoveries within the PRRS research community.
Dr. Joan Lunney, who has received innumerable awards nationally and internationally for her swine-related research, was additionally recognized for her impactful mentorship of young scientists, particularly women. Dr. Lunney taught high school chemistry before pursuing a Ph.D. in biochemistry. Her early career focused on immunology and genetics, using a swine model. She was instrumental in launching several swine genome mapping projects. For the past 20 years, Dr. Lunney has focused her research on PRRSV. She initiated the PRRS Host Genetics Consortium, a first-of-its-kind collaboration that led to identification of a genetic allele associated with improved PRRSV resistance.
Conference Organization and Sponsors
The meeting featured five plenary scientific sessions, a biosecurity session co-organized with the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), and industry-sponsored lunch sessions covering advances in swine health technologies. Both Daniel Perez, from the University of Georgia, and Andrew Bowman, from The Ohio State University, delivered keynote talks on influenza. Eric Mateu, from Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain, addressed the emergence of highly virulent PRRSV-1 in European swine herds.
Dr. Ying Fang and Dr. Raymond (Bob) Rowland, both from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, served as executive director and advisor, respectively, of the conference. The organizing committee members include swine disease scientific/extension experts and industry professionals from around the world.
The conference scientific committee was co-chaired by Dr. Mariana Kikuti of the University of Minnesota and Dr. Pablo Pineyro of Iowa State University. The full proceedings of the conference are available online.
The conference received sponsorship from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine, its Department of Pathobiology, and its Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; Zoetis; Boehringer Ingelheim; Dr. David Benfield; Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory; SHIC; Tetracore; Millipore Sigma; and Genus Research and Development.
“Our many sponsors play a crucial role in the success of this conference,” noted Dr. Fang.
Student Award Winners
Eight students received NAPRRS/NC229 ICSVD David Benfield Awards for their research presentations.
Oral Presentation Awards
- 1st Place: Trevor Arunsiripate, Iowa State University
- 2nd Place: Molly Kroeger, Iowa State University
- 2nd Place: Ethan Aljets, Iowa State University
- 3rd Place: Julia Baker, University of Minnesota
Poster Presentation Awards
- 1st Place: Bala Mounika Reddi, Iowa State University
- 1st Place: Marcello Melini, University of Minnesota
- 2nd Place: Akhila Naru, University of Illinois
- 3rd Place: Jing Huang, University of Minnesota
In addition, travel awards were granted to 17 students to attend the conference. (See photo at top of page.) The travel awards were supported by Boehringer Ingelheim.
- Akhila Naru, University of Illinois
- Chi Chen, University of Illinois
- Fangfeng Yuan, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Jing Huang, University of Minnesota
- Joao Paulo Herrera da Silva, University of Minnesota
- Julia Baker, University of Minnesota
- Junyu Tang, University of Illinois
- Kassandra Durazo Martinez, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Kristen Walker, USDA ARS/Morgan State University
- Laurie Touchard, University of Missouri
- Lu Yen, Iowa State University
- Marcello Melini, University of Minnesota
- Mehak Kapoor, Iowa State University
- Nakarin Pamornchainavakul, University of Minnesota
- The Nguyen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Trevor Arunsiripate, Iowa State University
- Xiaomei Yue, University of Minnesota
