#156 - Dr. Kim VanderWaal: Is our current virus classifications system still the best available?

Proper virus classification is necessary for the swine industry to ensure we can track nearby viruses' lineages and update vaccination and biosecurity protocols as needed. In this episode with Dr. Kim VanderWaal, we discuss classification processes today and new technology available that may help increase the accuracy of proper classification.

What you will learn:

1. Classifying PRRS virus strains

2. RFLPs

3. Lineages of strains

4. Understanding the epidemiology

5. Alternative classification processes

Meet the guest: Dr. Kimberly VanderWaal is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Veterinary population medicine. She received her Ph.D. in behavioral ecology back in 2013 from UC Davis. Her research aims to understand the dynamics of pathogen spread through animal populations, focusing on quantifying underlying drivers and overarching consequences of host and pathogen heterogeneity for disease transmission.

Best,

Laura Greiner 

P.S.: Are you also tired of old-school news about the swine industry, with more banners than news? The Swine it team launched a newsletter inspired by Morning Brew – now you can get your news digest in 5 minutes.

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