Conference Agenda

Disease transmission is a critical issue in the swine industry, and transport trailers are one of the routes of pathogen transmission between farms, significantly impacting animal health and the economy. In this study, electro-nanospray units were installed in an innovative prototype livestock trailer to assess the efficacy of the treatment units in preventing/minimizing the spread of diseases in animals during transport. This technology generates engineered water nanostructures (EWNS), which are responsible for bacterial inactivation through electrospraying and ionization of water. Two electro-nanospray units, each consisting of 16 spray injectors and housed in polycarbonate chambers, were installed inside the animal front compartment of the trailer. One Control and two Treatment sets of tests were performed during transport of pigs within and nearby towns of Saskatoon. The electro-nanospray units were turned on before starting the Treatment trip. Air quality and surface microbial population were monitored during each test/trip. Sampling was performed in the animal compartment at the start (after loading of pigs), in the middle, and at the end of the trip to collect samples. In the middle and end of the trials, average reductions in culturable bacteria were 40+-2% and 16+-6%, respectively. Additionally, a 24+-2% reduction in dust was achieved. Reductions in the microbial population on the metal surfaces of the animal compartment were also observed, with 78+-15% in the middle and 85+-15% at the end of the trial. These results indicate that the environmentally friendly electro-nanospray system can mitigate the transmission of dust and pathogens during the transport of pigs.

Stand-off pads (SOP) are uncovered outdoor yards built with absorbent materials overlying an impermeable lining with drainage pipes discharging into a manure tank, where cattle can be raised to minimize the environmental impact associated with nutrient runoff and gas emissions from manure management. Consequently, they emerge as a prospective alternative to traditional wintering pens, facilitating movement opportunities for dairy cows confined to tie-stalls. The objective of this study was to validate the potential of an improved SOP concept, composed of a filtering mixture aerated with the exhaust air from the adjacent barn, in contrast to a conventional wintering pen (WP), to provide outdoor exercise to dairy cows housed year-round in tie-stalls in the province of Quebec, Canada.

Both SOP and WP (28 m2) housed one Holstein dairy cow during 1.5 h, twice daily (morning and afternoon), throughout two 9-week periods (summer and winter). Results showed that the SOP was more efficient in removing biological oxygen demand, COD, TN, suspended solids, and E. coli (32.9, 194.2, 19.8, and 24.3 mg L−1, and 2.2 CFU 100-1 mL-1, respectively), relative to WP (95.3, 379.5, 54.2, and 43 mg L−1, and 197 CFU 100-1 mL-1, respectively). Aeration did not improve the removal of contaminants in the SOP but resulted in lower methane and nitrous oxide emissions compared to WP. A nitrogen balance was also calculated, obtaining 62% recovery for SOP and 45% in WP. The improved SOP represents a feasible solution for implementing environmentally compliant dairy cow exercise pen.

Animal transportation has proven to play a vital role in disseminating airborne viruses, thus a prototype trailer fitted with air filtration and ventilation systems was developed to protect the animals from airborne transmissible diseases during transport. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the filtered trailer in maintaining a pathogen-free environment inside the trailer loaded with pigs under actual transport conditions. Disease-challenge tests were conducted with the trailer filtration system in operation (Treatment) and without the filtration system (Control). For each test, a group of 10 pigs was loaded in the trailer, transported to a swine influenza A virus (IAV)-positive swine barn, and then the trailer was exposed to the exhaust air from the barn for 14 hours. After exposure, the pigs were observed for any clinical signs and symptoms of IAV infection for 14 days. Nasal swabs and blood samples were collected for serological testing to confirm infection. Results of the five completed disease-challenge tests showed that pigs in the trailer with an air filtration system remained healthy, and all blood and nasal swab samples collected were negative for IAV. However, pigs in the trailer without an air filtration system started to show signs and symptoms of IAV infection on Day 5 after the exposure. In addition, 7 out of 10 pigs were tested positive for IAV on Day 7. This result demonstrates that the air filtration system installed in the prototype trailer was capable of preventing airborne entry of pathogens into the animal compartment.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) persists as a significant threat to our society, with increasing implications for the health and productivity of livestock industry. An integral aspect of antimicrobial stewardship programs involves the efficient monitoring of the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) from farm animals to manure and subsequently into the broader environment. This underscores the imperative for establishing comprehensive databases of ARGs that are specific to the microbiomes of economically significant species of farm animals. In this project, we conducted whole-genome sequencing of 130 bacteria isolated from the gastrointestinal tract of healthy pigs. The primary objective was to construct a thorough database encompassing prevalent ARGs found in the pig gut. Bioinformatics tools such as the Resistance Gene Identifier (RGI) and Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) were used to screen genomes for the presence of ARGs, resulting in the identification of 323 ARGs across 117 genomes. Genes predicted to confer resistance against tetracycline, lincosamide, beta-lactams, and fluoroquinolone were the most prevalent across all genomes. Importantly, our analysis extended to screening the adjacent regions of ARGs for the presence of signature genes of mobile genetic elements (MGEs), to assess potential transmissibility to other bacterial species. Of the identified ARGs, 60 were associated with various classes of MGEs, encompassing integrative and conjugative elements (n=36), bacteriophages (n=8), plasmids (n=3), and other potentially conjugative elements. Overall, our findings underscore the widespread presence of ARGs, including those conferring resistance to medically significant antimicrobials, across diverse lineages of the swine gut microbiota.

In cold-climate regions such as Saskatchewan, pigs are typically raised in fully enclosed and insulated barns which are heated using fossil fuels to keep the animals under optimal conditions for growth. However, with increasing electricity costs across the country, keeping the thermal demand in every barn brings setbacks to pig farmer’s financial income. Aside from that, existing environmental temperature recommendations for raising pigs were developed decades ago, and modern pigs nowadays are significantly different in terms of physiology and genetics, and housing systems have also evolved considerably compared to decades ago. Previous studies have shown that pigs prefer environmental temperatures significantly lower than the current industry setpoints. However, there is still critical need to evaluate the impact of raising sows at their preferred temperature on their long-term reproductive performance and welfare. The main goal of this study is to determine the optimum environmental temperature requirements of sows to reduce energy costs and environmental footprint while maintaining their overall productivity and performance. A series of experiments was conducted in two identical sow rooms at the Prairie Swine Centre barn facility, configured for group housing system. One room was designated as Control with the temperature maintained at current conventional setpoint of 16.5 °C, while another room designated as Treatment had temperature maintained at 8 °C, which was determined from a previous related study. The impact of this optimized temperature management approach on long-term reproductive performance and welfare of sows as well as on energy consumption and environmental carbon footprint will be presented.

The production and emission of particulate matter and greenhouse gases during egg production in layer facilities is connected with environmental pollution which consequently affects the public health and bird welfare. Ammonia (NH3) and airborne particulate matter (PM) are identified as the two major pollutants emitted from layer facilities. While nitrogenous compounds present in the poultry litter are the potential sources of NH3 production; airborne PM originates from the bird’s feather, skin, dander, excreta, bedding material, and existing microorganisms. Particulate matter in the PM10 and PM2.5 fraction are of particular interest primarily due to their capability of entering the respiratory system. The emitted ammonia can further react with acidic gases to produce secondary aerosols (SA). These aerosols are typically in the very fine size fraction and contribute to the formation of finer particulate matter (PM2.5). Furthermore, the emitted ammonia may be converted to nitrous oxide (N2O), which is a potent greenhouse gas. Due to animal welfare considerations, the egg production industry is transitioning from conventional battery cage system towards alternative systems (enriched cage, free-run (single-tier, and aviary), and free-range). Recent research indicates that alternative systems demonstrate higher emission rates, therefore it is vital to adopt efficient emission control strategies. Several management and control strategies are being developed which can be divided into four main categories: end-of-pipe treatment of the ventilation air, oil and water spraying, litter and manure amendments, and dietary manipulation. The current review aims to present the state of the science air pollution management strategies of poultry layer facilities.

Animal manures are a hotspot for the transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance bacteria (ARB). This study aimed to determine the microbial groups associated with ARGs and Mobile Genetic Elements (MGEs) in bovine manures. Forty manure samples were collected, comprising 12 untreated and 28 subjected to various treatments: mesophilic anaerobic digestion (MAD, n = 15), thermophilic anaerobic digestion (TAD, n = 7), aerobic storage (n = 2), and the solids (n = 2) and liquids (n = 2) from a bedding recovery unit (BRU). DNA extraction and sequencing were conducted using an Illumina Miseq 250PE platform. Metagenomic reads were analyzed using diverse bioinformatic tools to determine microbial communities and ARG and MGE profiles. Spearman correlation and a co-occurrence model were employed to identify potential microbial groups linked with ARGs and MGEs. Results revealed that the phyla Bacillota and Pseudomonadota exhibited the highest number of microbial genera significantly and positively correlated with ARGs and MGEs, while Bacillota and Euryarchaeota showed negative correlations. Machine Learning techniques were employed to fit metagenomic data to simple regression models. The results indicated that total MGE levels served as a robust predictor of total ARG levels (R2 = 0.71). Furthermore, the relative abundance of Bacillota, Pseudomonadota, and Bacteroidota emerged as strong predictors (R2 = 0.66) for total ARG levels. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into microbial groups potentially harboring ARGs and MGEs, offering a foundation for developing targeted interventions to manage and mitigate Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in animal manures.