Iowa State University researchers have developed a new real-time swine disease surveillance system designed to help U.S. pork producers identify and respond to emerging disease threats at the regional level. The project, supported by the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC), uses data already collected on farms to create a dynamic, spatially driven model of disease activity.
The system continuously incorporates information such as animal movement records, diagnostic submissions, and site locations, allowing researchers to monitor how pathogens spread across production systems and counties. More than 3,000 sites and 10 major production systems contributed data to the model.
SHIC Associate Director Dr. Lisa Becton says the goal is to apply real-world information to provide earlier detection and more accurate assessments of regional disease risk.
“This model evaluates farm-specific data—movement, diagnostics, and geography—and interprets relationships among those data streams to identify potential disease events in real time,”
says Dr. Becton.
“By focusing initially on PRRS, we were able to demonstrate how the system tracks transmission patterns across multiple sites and production systems.”
The surveillance platform enables producers and veterinarians to visualize PRRS activity, assess vulnerabilities, and strengthen biosecurity measures before issues escalate. By integrating routine operational data, the system provides a practical tool for improving health management across swine-dense regions.
The effort also underscores the industry’s ongoing shift toward data-driven health strategies and collaborative disease monitoring frameworks.
Producers interested in learning more about the model or participating in future data initiatives can access additional information through the Swine Health Information Center at swinehealth.org.
