Contact
New Bolton Center Kennett Square, PA
Emergencies & Appointments:
610-444-5800
Directions
Ryan Hospital Philadelphia, PA
Emergencies:
215-746-8911
Appointments:
215-746-8387
Directions

Stopping Disease in its Tracks: How Geospatial Mapping Protects Pennsylvania’s Producers

Feb 5, 2021, 14:21 PM
Author Name:
Curt Harler
Date:
Nov 4, 2019, 00:00 AM

Tell a swine or poultry producer that their animals are sick and the first question they ask is, “How?”

Thanks to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), producers can now get an answer to that pressing question fast – or even stop disease from encroaching past their property lines altogether.

At the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, researchers harness the power of real-time geospatial information systems (GIS) to safeguard Pennsylvania’s farms and food supply.

Dr. Meghann Pierdon, Assistant Professor of Clinical Production Medicine, runs Penn Vet's geospatial information systems (GIS) program to pinpoint current and emerging disease hotspots.

Tell a swine or poultry producer that their animals are sick and the first question they ask is, “How?”

Thanks to researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), producers can now get an answer to that pressing question fast – or even stop disease from encroaching past their property lines altogether.

Run by Penn Vet’s Dr. Meghann Pierdon, the program relies on geospatial information systems (GIS) to pinpoint current and emerging disease hotspots, share information about outbreaks with producers, and strategize community approaches to control potentially devastating diseases. Pierdon uses the GIS data to update a secure website with a map that illustrates, in near-real time regions, where pigs or birds have tested for disease and identify areas that may be at risk. The database is updated quarterly to be sure everything is accurate and communication is open to producers.

In 2012, nearly a quarter of the swine monitored by Penn Vet’s swine disease mapping program, called the Pennsylvania Regional Control Program (PRCP), were on farms testing positive for disease. Since participating in the PRCP, which is operated by Pierdon and funded by the Pennsylvania Pork Producers Council, that number has declined to 15 percent; 17 percent if Ohio and Indiana are included.

As a result of its success, industry participation in the PRCP has doubled to include more than 100 farmer, hauler, feed and genetics companies and veterinarian members across the Commonwealth.

The idea is to provide usable data so farmers can take the information and make informed production decisions.

“For example, we can set up protected zones where we only want negative pigs,” says Pierdon. “Producers can then make appropriate decisions based on that information – such as being careful if buying feeders from infected area or preventing a feed truck that was on a farm with active disease from going directly to their farm – to help cuts the disease spread."

Several years ago, the first swine disease Pierdon tracked was Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS). Today, an emerging pathogen, Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PED), has caught her attention.

Through the Penn Vet pioneered program, Pierdon is able to help producers safeguard their farms from the spread of devastating disease.Most of the GIS data is drawn from Pennsylvania farms but, since neither commerce nor disease heed state lines, she also gathers information from Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.  On the pig side, a vet or producer fills in a template with basic data like the farm’s address, where the pigs came from and where they will go next. On the poultry side, most of the data comes to her through the lab system. She sees a flock identifier and farm address.

“The PRCP has been instrumental in helping the industry understand the scope and impact of this new PED disease and in implementing the best biosecurity measures to stop the spread of the deadly virus,” she said.

While it is endemic, PRRS is preventable, Pierdon says. The idea is to decrease the number of farms that are impacted by an outbreak. “Then a producer can clean it up and not have to worry that it will come back,” she adds.

Most recently, Pierdon’s GIS mapping has played an integral part in safeguarding Pennsylvania poultry farms from the recent outbreak of Coryza in the Commonwealth. Similar to a head cold in humans, coryza is a bacterial contagious disease of poultry that presents with secretion of mucus deposits in the mouth and throat. The implications for production on farms whose birds have contracted the disease, however, are serious.

“It cropped up in December 2018 and progressed in number of cases until late Spring,” says Pierdon. While it slowed this summer, she is noticing and mapping an uptick in the number of cases now.

In addition to providing on-farm outreach and support, Penn Vet also works with federal and state agencies. While government tracks foreign disease threats like hoof-and-mouth, Pierdon’s focus is on monitoring diseases that loom as a threat to farmers but are not reportable to the government. “It really is all about improving and implementing biosecurity,” she says, adding that the data she gathers helps agencies understand how industry is structured.

There have also been what Pierdon calls “nibbles of interest” in applying her GIS program to help safeguard other agricultural industries, mainly aquaculture and honeybees.

No matter where the system is deployed, the main objective is to decrease the amount of disease spread and give producers control over safeguarding their farms or operations.

“We’re not just looking to respond to the disease in the moment, but ultimately, provide biosecurity solutions that can protect our animals, our people, and our environment from the next ‘big, bad bug.’”

Categories:
  • Research
Tags:
  • nr-agriculture
  • Swine Health
  • Swine Group News
  • Swine Group
  • press release
  • Pierdon
  • avian health
  • Ag@PV News

13 comments

Leave a comment
  1. Jim | Feb 25, 2024

    This movies site has a working search bar at the top of its homepage to help you find your favorite movies and TV shows. The site is updated frequently with new hits, and it features fewer ads than most free streaming sites.

    You won’t find many international films and foreign dramas on this website, but This movies site makes up for this with a large library of US content. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll certainly find it here.

    This movies site has an attractive layout that’s easy to navigate and works pretty well on mobile.

    7 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  2. Jack | Feb 25, 2024

    This movies site is another great streaming website that has always been ranked above many websites. It has a library of thousands of movie and series that you can choose from anytime. The website is very easy to navigate and gives you stress-free experience. You can not underestimate the standard of this website. It also has a search button that enables users to search for their preferred movies.

    On This movies site, you can enjoy access to thousands of Crime, Action, Drama, Fantasy, Animation, Biography, Family, Horror and Sports are some of the genres of movies you are opportuned to enjoy. Unlike some streaming websites, This movies site is designed in a way to ameliorate the stress people go through to locate a particular movie.

    You can search for any movie by Country, release dates and ratings. The site is very fast to load and has virtually no ads to disrupt your moment. This movies site is a great site, and you're sure to enjoy every movie you find on the platform. If you're busy or involved in other stuffs, you can click on any video, download to your device and watch later. On This movies site, no sign up is required.

    6 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  3. John | Feb 25, 2024

    You can watch everything from Riverdale to The Order and classic TV series like Grey’s Anatomy on This movies site. It is an all-exclusive series streaming service. This movies site has a very specific way of mentioning the episodes they recently uploaded so that you never miss out on your favorite series. The website also mentions the normal TV schedule of the series, just in case you want to watch it on the television.

    5 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  4. Adam | Feb 25, 2024

    One of the most popular free movie streaming sites is This movies site. You have an unlimited access to the website. It's very easy to operate and navigate through the website. It has a search button to launch you to your favourite movie at a single touch.

    There are thousands of movies on This movies site to keep you busy at leisure or when you finally take a break from work. You don't have to sign up on This movies site to enjoy videos. There are a lot of trendy, popular and latest movies on the website. You can also enjoy wide range of TV series on This movies site without having to pay a dime or register. Just make sure you have enough data stuck in your device, you can watch movies on the website for 24 hours non-stop.

    5 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  5. Adam | Feb 24, 2024

    If you want to watch movies from 1950 to 2020 then This movies site is the place you should visit. This is one of the most popular free streaming movies sites to stream free movies online without registration or signup. Here all movies are separated in different genres. You can found your movies by genres or by release year or by searching the movie name. Watching movies is very simple here just search your movie you want to watch and hit you play button and enjoy your movie with popcorn.

    4 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  6. Jack | Feb 24, 2024

    This brings us to the top 4 on this list which is the This movies site. This is a mixture of our top rated sites like the tubitv and This movies site, which include both the features of excellent movies collection as well as their own rating system that are classified into Hot, Top Views Today, Top favorite and Top Rating category. With This movies site you don’t have to sign up so you can go ahead and enjoy streaming movies, right after visiting the site.

    3 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  7. Jim | Feb 24, 2024

    This movies site is a popular streaming website that has grown its fame on the internet over the past few years. It's a free website with unlimited number of movies and TV series. Whichever genre of movie you want to see, This movies site has them all. Although, the website does not hold materials directly. It only has links to other streaming websites where viewers are redirected to pick their favourite movies. This movies site does not require you to sign-up before you're granted access to their large database.

    1 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  8. Clark | Feb 24, 2024

    Another top choice among movie lovers, This movies site has the best collection of award-winning movies from around the world. Movies are uploaded on the website just within a month after it is released online or in the theaters. This free movie streaming website has a special section called Featured where you can watch the most popular movies of 2019. If you love movies, this is the website you should be visiting.

    1 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  9. John | Feb 23, 2024

    This brings us to the top 4 on this list which is the This movies site. This is a mixture of our top rated sites like the tubitv and This movies site, which include both the features of excellent movies collection as well as their own rating system that are classified into Hot, Top Views Today, Top favorite and Top Rating category. With This movies site you don’t have to sign up so you can go ahead and enjoy streaming movies, right after visiting the site.

    0 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  10. Tommy | Feb 23, 2024

    This movies site is one of the best websites to watch free movies online without registration or signup. If you are a die hard fan of Hollywood movies then This movies site is the best place for you. This movie websites 2020 contain huge number of Hollywood movies to watch for free. This site have all latest releases movies as well as classic movies from 90's. To watch movies you not need to create an account but if you create then you can unlocked some special features and this is free. Also they have request section so you can request them to add your favorite movies if its not available in the website.

    2 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  11. Jimmy | Feb 23, 2024

    This movies site is another great free streaming sites no signup to stream movies online without downloading. This movies site got huge collection of both new and old movies. So if you want to stream new movies online for free then This movies site is the best place to visit. Also you can watch TV shows but not much. The best thing of the site is its totally ads free they don’t have any kind of advertisement on their site. so its full safe to use this site.

    1 Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   Link   
  12. Clark | Feb 23, 2024
    test
  13. DealsPaws | Dec 24, 2023

    Leave a comment