【AASV】现代养猪业在挑战中抓住机遇——美国知名猪兽医在AASV 2023年会上的报告

现代养猪业在挑战中抓住机遇

Seizing opportunity within the challenges of modern swine veterinary medicine

Attila Farkas, DVM Carthage Veterinary Service, Cartage Illinois
阿提拉-法卡斯 兽医学博士（伊利诺伊州迦太基兽医服务部，迦太基）

Introduction
简介

When I was first asked to give this lecture, I was very surprised. Honestly, the thought of talking about myself makes me uncomfortable. I do not want to ever do something that could be seen as bragging. Besides, talking to large audiences is really not in my blood. Not to mention, it is so hard to follow in the shoes of all the previous speakers. But I am going to give this my best.

虽然我没有机会认识亚历克斯-霍格博士，但我很荣幸能在第十七次年度亚历克斯-霍格纪念讲座上发表演讲。当我第一次被邀请做这个讲座时，我感到非常惊讶。说实话，一想到要谈论自己，我就觉得不舒服。我不想做任何可能被视为吹牛的事情。此外，在我的骨子里，对广大听众讲话真的不是我的风格。更不用说，要跟上所有前几位发言人的脚步是如此困难。但我将尽力而为。

Dr. Hogg was a man who wore many hats and seized many oppor­tunities. He went to business college, joined the Navy, went to vet school, practiced mixed animal medicine, went back to school to earn a master’s degree in veterinary pathology, served as a swine extension veterinarian, became a professor, and so many other things. He was a husband, a father, a son, and a friend. He lived a full life and helped others do the same. He had a heart for learning, which is crucial in an industry like ours where new challenges arise often.

霍格博士是一位身兼数职、抓住许多机会的人。他上过商学院，加入过海军，上过兽医学校，从事混合动物医学，回到学校获得兽医病理学硕士学位，担任过猪的推广兽医，成为一名教授，还有其他许多事情。他是一个丈夫，一个父亲，一个儿子，一个朋友。他活得很充实，并帮助别人也这样做。他有一颗学习的心，这在我们这样一个经常出现新挑战的行业中是至关重要的。

As I am sure most of you know, Dr. Hogg was not from the US. And in case you could not tell from my accent, neither am I. Dr. Hogg immigrated with his family from Scotland as a child. My coming to America story is a little different, and it started later in my life.

我相信你们中的大多数人都知道，霍格医生不是来自美国。如果你从我的口音中看不出来，我也不是。霍格医生是在小时候随家人从苏格兰移民过来的。我来到美国的故事有点不同，是在我生命的后期开始的。

After finishing vet school in Romania in 2006, I worked with Halav Love SRL, which is a dairy farm. They wanted to hire young, energetic veterinarians, and I fit the bill. I was one of four vets on their staff. My main responsibility was calf health management. I also worked monitoring milking data, looking for signs of mastitis.

2006年，在罗马尼亚兽医学校毕业后，我在Halav Love SRL工作，这是一家奶牛场。他们想雇用年轻、有活力的兽医，而我正好符合要求。我是他们员工中的四名兽医之一。我的主要责任是犊牛健康管理。我还负责监测挤奶数据，寻找乳腺炎的迹象。

One day in 2008, I got a call from a friend I made while visiting the US during college asking if I might be interested in working with swine in Texas. Smithfield’s presence in Romania was starting to grow, and I anticipated that they were going to be the future of swine in my home country. The chance to go experience confined swine production firsthand was too big to pass up. I wanted to come and learn from the best in the world. I knew that the knowledge I gained from working with swine in the US would make me more marketable in Romania. So I interviewed for a US agriculture visa.

2008年的一天，我接到了我在大学期间访问美国时结识的一位朋友的电话，问我是否有兴趣去德克萨斯州从事养猪工作。史密斯菲尔德公司在罗马尼亚的业务开始增长，我预计他们将成为我家乡猪业的未来。有机会去亲身体验封闭式猪场的生产，我不能错过。我想向世界上最好的人学习。我知道，我在美国与猪打交道所获得的知识，将使我在罗马尼亚更有市场。因此，我参加了美国农业签证的面试。

Ultimately, I was offered a swine technician position. I eagerly told them I had my vet license. They were pleased and told me the job would involve some veterinary tasks. I was excited to embark on this new adventure of learning, so I could come back home and be a better veterinarian in my country.

最终，我得到了一家猪场的技术员的职位。我急切地告诉他们我有兽医执照。他们很高兴，并告诉我这份工作将涉及一些兽医工作。我很兴奋地开始了这个新的学习冒险，这样我就可以回家，在我的国家成为一个更好的兽医。

When I gave my two-week notice to my boss at the dairy farm, he tried to deny it. He thought I was joking or trying to get a pay raise. I explained I was moving to the US to work for a swine company. All these years later, his words still stay with me. He said, “In Europe, titles are important. They are respected. In the US, you will just be their buddy, and you will be scraping pig shit.” I laughed and told him, “At least I will get paid.”

当我向奶牛场的老板发出两周的通知时，他试图否认。他认为我是在开玩笑，或者想加薪。我解释说我要搬到美国去为一家养猪公司工作。这么多年过去了，他的话仍让我记忆犹新。他说：“在欧洲，头衔很重要。他们受到尊重。在美国，你将只是他们的伙伴，你将被要求去刮猪屎。我笑着告诉他，“至少我会得到报酬。”

I will never forget when I flew into Amarillo and then drove to the town where the farm was. Everything was so flat. There were no trees anywhere. It was just crops. I had never seen a landscape like that. When I arrived at the place I would be staying, it was quite the culture shock. It was a trailer park in a field. I had never even seen a trailer before, let alone lived in one.

我永远不会忘记当我飞到阿马里洛，然后开车到农场所在的小镇。一切都是那么平坦，到处都没有树。只有庄稼。我从来没有见过这样的风景。当我到达我将要住的地方时，这是一个相当于文化冲击。那是一个位于田间的拖车公园。我以前甚至从未见过拖车，更不用说住在里面了。

When I arrived at orientation, it was the first time I had been to a sow farm. As I was shown around, I quickly realized no one working there spoke English … or Romanian or Hungarian, which were the languages I knew. No one even knew my name. My start in the swine industry was not exactly what I had expected. But that was OK. I just needed to be patient and willing to learn.

当我到达迎新处时，这是我第一次去母猪场。当我被带着参观时，我很快意识到在那里工作的人都不会说英语......或罗马尼亚语，或匈牙利语，这些都是我知道的语言。甚至没有人知道我的名字。我在养猪业的开始并不完全是我所期望的那样。但这并不重要，我只是需要有耐心，愿意学习。

In 2012, the company expressed an interest in having an on-site veterinarian and asked if I would be interested. I was eager to move back into a veterinary role, so I started the three-year program that foreign vets have to go through in order to be licensed in the US. And the rest is history, as they say.

2012年，该公司表示有兴趣拥有一名现场兽医，并询问我是否有兴趣。我渴望回到兽医的岗位，所以我开始了三年的课程，外国兽医必须通过这个课程才能在美国获得执照。剩下的就是历史了，正如他们所说。

Many of you are familiar with the story of the man who moved from Scotland as a child and ultimately became one of the swine industry’s celebrated veterinarians. It is why we honor Dr. Hogg still today, seventeen years after his passing. And now you know the tale of a young, eager Romanian veterinarian, who moved to America to learn about confined swine production with the intentions of going back home.

你们中的许多人都熟悉亚历克斯-霍格博士的这个故事，他从小就从苏格兰搬来，最终成为养猪业著名的兽医之一。这就是为什么在霍格博士去世17年后的今天，我们仍然向他致敬。现在你知道了一个年轻的、热切的罗马尼亚兽医的故事，他搬到美国来学习限位栏养猪，打算回家。

Dr. Hogg had a special empathy with people of Eastern European countries. As a matter of fact, one of his favorite places to visit was the Pasteur Institute in Bucharest, Romania. He was not only concerned with his native homeland or the country he adopted as home. He cared about the world, which leads me to my next topic—global control measures.

霍格博士对东欧国家的人民有一种特殊的同情心。事实上，他最喜欢参观的地方之一是罗马尼亚布加勒斯特的巴斯德研究所。他不仅关心他的祖国或他收养国家的情况。他关心的是整个世界，这让我想到了我的下一个话题——全球控制措施。

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Global control measures

全球控制措施

As a person born and raised in another country, I have a unique perspective on the swine industry when it comes to examining it beyond the borders of the US. Over the years, the need for safe and efficient food production has continued to rise. The high demand for harvestable animal-sourced food both nationally and globally can create a lot of pressure on the professionals tasked with the health and wellbeing of that food source. The crisis brought about by the African swine fever (ASF) outbreak starting in 2018 is a perfect illustration of this.

作为一个在另一个国家出生和长大的人，当我在美国境外审视养猪业时，我对它有着独特的看法。多年来，对安全和高效的食品生产的需求持续上升。国家和全球对可收获的动物源性食品的高需求，会给负责该食品来源的健康和福祉的专业人员带来很大压力。2018年开始暴发的非洲猪瘟（ASF），带来的危机就是一个完美的说明。

While the twentieth century enjoyed the luxury of largely ignoring ASF, the twenty-first century has seen the rapid expansion of this devastating disease across most of the pork-producing countries in the world. It is hard not to consider the recent ASF outbreak in China as the largest domestic animal health disaster in the history of the world because half of the world’s pig population was decimated. Diseases like ASF can have serious effects on worldwide swine production. It is a devastating, infectious disease that only infects swine and results in incredibly high mortality rates. African swine fever is one of the most economically important viral diseases in the swine industry. It is estimated that if the US experienced an ASF outbreak, it would cost us over $50 billion during the course of a ten-year period. Even a small scale ASF introduction into the US would result in devastating economic impacts to producers and the entire supply chain.

虽然在二十世纪，很大程度上忽视了ASF，但进入二十一世纪后，这种毁灭性疾病在世界大多数养猪生产国迅速蔓延。很难不把最近在中国暴发的ASF视为世界历史上最大的国内动物健康的灾难，因为世界上一半的猪群被消灭了。像ASF这样的疾病会对全世界的养猪生产产生严重影响。它是一种破坏性的、只感染猪的传染病，导致出现了令人难以置信的高死亡率。非洲猪瘟是养猪业中经济上最重要的病毒性疾病之一。据估计，如果美国发生非洲猪瘟疫情，在10年的时间里，它将使我们损失超过500亿美元。即使小规模的ASF传入美国，也会对美国的经济造成毁灭性的影响。

A lot of research has been devoted to trying to develop a commer­cial vaccine for ASF, but one does not exist yet. Recent advancements in vaccine technology have given hope to the ASF endemic regions of the world that disease control may be possible without depopulation. Even if a vaccine is only able to minimize the duration and volume of virus shedding, vaccination programs could go a long way toward decreasing the volume of ASF virus in the world, and thus slowing its creeping transmission across pig populations. Our industry should champion and support vaccine evaluation of safe vaccine candidates while demanding industries using “black market” ASF vaccines halt their use.

研究人员已经投稿了大量的研究，试图开发一种针对ASF的商用疫苗，但目前还不尚未开发这种疫苗。最近，疫苗研究技术的进步给全球ASF流行地区带来了希望，即在不减少猪群的情况下控制非洲猪瘟是有可能的。即使疫苗只能最大限度地减少病毒排毒的时间和数量，疫苗接种计划也能在很大程度上减少世界上ASF病毒的数量，从而减缓其在猪群中的缓慢传播。养猪业应该支持对安全候选疫苗的评估，同时要求使用“黑市“ASF疫苗的企业停止使用这些疫苗。

Currently, there are no effective treatment options for ASF either. Implementation of strict biosecurity measures is the best tool in our arsenal against the disease currently. African swine fever is largely a fomite-driven disease with contaminated meat products and swine carcasses being uniquely important components to its transmission. Producers generally do not need to change their biosecurity protocols to successfully prevent an ASF introduction, but they do need to execute them consistently. Nearly all pigs die once a herd is infected, and market access is lost to countries experiencing a break because no country is willing to risk bringing in contaminated pork. Depopulation of affected sites remains the gold standard for ASF control once it is introduced into a farm. Partial depopulation has been demonstrated to be effective on sites with regular testing, clinical sign monitoring, and constant internal biosecurity procedures to slow the spread of ASF inside the farm. Considerations for depopulation and carcass disposal methods should focus on timeliness of depopulation method, risk for carcass contamination in the disposal method, work safety, and mental wellbeing as well as animal wellbeing. Carcass disposal remains a challenge, particularly as it relates to regulatory compliance and practicality.

目前，对ASF也没有有效的治疗方案。实施严格的生物安全措施是我们目前应对该疾病的最佳工具。非洲猪瘟在很大程度上是一种由虫媒驱动的疾病，被污染的肉制品和猪的尸体是其传播的独特的重要组成部分。生产者一般不需要改变他们的生物安全协议来成功地防止非洲猪瘟的传入，但他们确实需要持续地执行这些协议。一旦猪群被感染，几乎所有的猪都会死亡，而且由于没有国家愿意冒险将被污染的猪肉带入市场，因此经历了断裂的国家会失去市场准入。一旦ASF被引入农场，对受影响地点进行灭群仍然是控制ASF的黄金标准。在有定期检测、临床症状监测和持续的内部生物安全程序以减缓ASF在农场内传播的情况下，部分去势已被证明是有效的。考虑去势和胴体处理方法时，应重点考虑去势方法的及时性、处理方法中的胴体污染风险、工作安全、精神健康以及动物健康等。胴体处理仍然是一个挑战，特别是与法规遵守和实用性有关的问题。

The rapid spread of ASF across China and other countries resulted in huge impacts to the global pig population, which created a deficit in the world’s food supply chain. As of July 2022, over fifty countries had reported cases of ASF since the 2018 outbreak. Ten of those countries reported their first occurrence since 2020. So, while that first year of the outbreak was probably the most devastating, the problem is far from over or under control. The direct and indirect economic loss is estimated to be well into the billions. Finding out the exact number of pigs lost or the precise economic impact has proven to be challenging because the numbers are not always reported publicly, and some that are available are not considered accurate. It is likely that the disease is much more catastrophic than what we have heard.

ASF在中国和其他国家的迅速蔓延导致全球猪群受到巨大影响，这在世界食品供应链中造成了赤字。截至2022年7月，自2018年暴发以来，有超过50个国家报告了ASF的病例。其中10个国家报告了自2020年以来的首次发生情况。因此，虽然暴发的第一年可能是最具破坏性的一年，但这个问题远远没有结束或得到控制。直接和间接的经济损失估计远远达到数十亿。事实证明，找出损失的猪的确切数量或准确的经济影响是具有挑战性的，因为这些数字并不总是公开报告的，而且一些可获得的数字被认为是不准确的。这种疾病很可能比我们所听到的更具有灾难性。

There is a huge lack of crucial data available for proper research of this particular outbreak and its effects, which creates quite the challenge in analyzing the true impact and developing actionable steps to help prevent future outbreaks from having similar detrimental impacts.

在对这一特定的暴发及其影响进行适当的研究方面，有大量的关键数据缺乏，这对分析真正的影响和制定可操作的步骤以帮助防止未来的暴发产生类似的有害影响造成了相当的挑战。

Currently, the response to ASF varies widely depending on what part of the world we are talking about. For instance, in China, only pigs which test positive must be eliminated. While in Europe, once a positive case of ASF is confirmed, not only are infected animals euthanized but the entire farm must be depopulated.

目前，对ASF的反应有很大的不同，取决于我们所谈论的世界的哪个地方。例如，在中国，只有检测呈阳性的猪才必须被淘汰。而在欧洲，一旦确认了ASF的阳性病例，不仅要对受感染的动物实施安乐死，而且必须对整家农场进行清场。

Then the site must go through two rounds of rigorous disinfect­ing, and then the site must sit empty for a significant period of time before repopulation is allowed.

然后，该场地必须经过两轮严格的消毒，然后该场地必须空闲相当长的一段时间，才允许重新种植。

The recent ASF outbreak highlighted some areas we need to work on as an industry. Initially, ASF moved across the whole country of China within three months. Only ninety days before the entire country, 3.7 million square miles, had been exposed to a disease that was first identified decades before. The situation caused many countries, the US included, to take a long, hard look at what needs to be done differently to learn from that situation. The answer so far seems to be to limit live movement, develop rapid ASF testing options, set up quarantines, and enforce the guidelines set.

最近ASF的暴发突出了我们作为一个行业需要努力的一些领域。最初，ASF在三个月内横跨中国整个国家。仅仅九十天之前，整个国家，370万平方英里，已经暴露在一种几十年前首次发现的疾病中。这种情况引起了许多国家，包括美国，对需要以不同的方式做什么进行了长时间的审视，以便从这种情况中吸取教训。到目前为止，答案似乎是限制活体流动，开发快速的ASF测试方案，设立隔离区，并执行所制定的准则。

For the US, one of the biggest hurdles is testing options. While there are diagnostic tests available for ASF, only a few sample types have been validated. They include whole blood, tonsils, spleen, and bone marrow for PCR testing and serum for ELISA testing. These all come with challenges, the primary one being the ease of quick collection if you need to survey a whole farm or an area. How many of you travel with the supplies in your vehicle to collect whole blood for an entire farm? Who is ready to necropsy a bunch of pigs in order to collect tonsils or spleens? Better yet, who wants to deal with the potential false-positive rate that is inherently part of ELISA testing when we are talking about a disease like ASF? Not me.

对美国来说，最大的障碍之一是测试方案。虽然有针对ASF的诊断测试，但只有少数各类的样本已经得到验证。它们包括用于PCR测试的全血、扁桃体、脾脏和骨髓，以及用于ELISA测试的血清。这些都伴随着挑战，主要的挑战是如果你需要调查整家农场或一个地区，是否容易快速收集样本。你们有多少人在旅行时在车上携带了为整家农场收集全血的用品？谁准备好对一群猪进行尸检，以便收集扁桃体或脾脏？更重要的是，当我们谈论像ASF这样的疾病时，谁愿意处理ELISA检测所固有的潜在假阳性率？我可不想。

We need a better plan, a better method. But that takes a lot of work. It requires a lot of effort and collaborations between government agencies and producers to successfully tackle a disease like this. And with ASF, we have an even bigger challenge. Because so far we have been blessed to not have ASF within our borders, our access to samples for validation purposes is limited.

我们需要一个更好的计划，一个更好的方法。但这需要大量的工作。它需要大量的努力和政府机构与生产者之间的合作，以成功解决这样的疾病。而对于ASF，我们有一个更大的挑战。因为到目前为止，我们很幸运，在我们的边界内没有ASF，我们为验证目的而获得的样本是有限的。

My connection with Eastern Europe has given me the opportunity to be part of a massive project to try to validate other sample types for monitoring for ASF. As part of the project, we were able to have samples collected of known ASF status for testing. We are trying to get data on the accuracy of population level samples like oral fluids versus individual samples like those that are currently validated. Many things must be considered when designing a project like this.

我与东欧地区农场的联系使我有机会参与一个大型项目，试图验证监测ASF的其他类型的样本。作为该项目的一部分，我们能够收集已知ASF状态的样本进行测试。我们正试图获得像口腔液等群体水平样本与当前验证的那些个体样本的准确性的数据。在设计这样的项目时，必须考虑许多因素。

When we test a population sample, we accept a positive sample as positive. But how do we interpret a negative test result? Is it truly negative? Do we assume every animal chewed sufficiently on the rope, even those that might be sick? What if only one animal in the pen is sick, would we detect that? Would using oral fluids to survey a farm allow us to catch the index case, that first positive case, on a farm? These are things we do not know. And we will not know without a lot of testing.

当我们测试一个群体水平的样本时，我们接受一个阳性样本为阳性。但是我们如何解释一个阴性的测试结果？它是真正的阴性吗？我们是否认为每头都充分咀嚼了绳子，即使是那些可能生病的动物？如果猪栏里只有一头生病了，我们会发现吗？使用口服液调查一家农场是否能让我们捕捉到索引病例，也就是农场的第一个阳性病例？这些都是我们不知道的事情。没有大量的测试，我们也不会知道。

In order to try to answer these questions, several organizations in the US are collaborating with organizations in Romania to sample ASF-positive farms to get us access to samples we have not had before. These samples will allow us to create scenarios with unvalidated sample types alongside validated ones to determine whether the unvalidated options are suitable for monitoring for ASF with accuracy.

为了尝试回答这些问题，美国的几个组织正在与罗马尼亚的组织合作，对ASF阳性农场进行采样，以使我们能够获得我们以前没有的样本。这些样本将使我们能够创建未验证的样本类型与验证的样本类型并存的方案，以确定未验证的方案是否适合监测ASF的准确性。

Population type samples are always scrutinized initially before they become an acceptable option for surveillance of any disease. This is something we are used to. We went through it with PRRS for oral fluids and processing fluids. We went through this again with oral fluids for PED. Now we must do it for ASF.

群体类型的样本在成为监测任何疾病的可接受的样本之前，最初总是被仔细检查。这是我们已经习惯的事情。我们经历了PRRS的口腔液和处理液。我们在处理PED的口腔液时又经历了这一过程。现在我们必须为ASF做这件事。

With the help of our collaborators in Romania, we’ll be able to create a known prevalence by collecting individual samples on the positive farms. Then we will hopefully be able to answer the big question at the early stages of an ASF break—when only one pig in a pen is positive, is that oral fluid for the pen also positive? Or does it take two pigs or five pigs? Where is the threshold of detectability?

在罗马尼亚的合作者的帮助下，我们将能够通过收集阳性农场的个体样本来获得一个已知的流行率。然后，我们将有希望回答ASF暴发初期的一个大问题——当一个猪栏中只有一头猪是阳性时，这个猪栏的口腔液也是阳性的吗？还是需要2头猪或5头猪？可检测的阈值是多少？

I am not going to lie. This project has not been without its challenges. When the discussion first started about trying to validate other sample types, the first obstacle was actually gaining access to positive farms to collect the samples needed. Then the next challenge was getting the samples collected. In Eastern Europe, once a farm has a confirmed positive ASF case, the window for collecting samples is small because the farm must be depopu­lated within a few days. The next hurdle was getting the samples collected to a lab where all the confirmatory testing could be conducted at a level our US government would be comfortable with.

我不打算撒谎。这个项目并非没有挑战。当第一次开始讨论尝试验证其他样本类型时，第一个障碍是实际获得进入阳性猪场收集所需样本的机会。然后，下一个挑战是如何收集样本。在东欧，一旦一家农场出现确诊的ASF阳性病例，收集样本的窗口就很小，因为该农场的猪群必须在几天内被清除。下一个障碍是将收集到的样本送到一个实验室，在那里可以以我们美国政府愿意接受的水平进行所有确诊性测试。

With teamwork, we were able to overcome these trials and get several thousand samples collected and delivered to a lab in the US for all the work to be done. Now comes the really hard part — waiting for the results.
在团队合作下，我们得以克服这些考验，并收集了几千个样本，送到美国的一个实验室进行所有工作。现在真正困难的部分来了——等待结果。

It is one of the roles of swine veterinarians to help identify problems in swine herds, especially those that pose a risk to neighboring herds or the entire industry. Not only do vets help recognize any problems; they also try to implement solutions that ensure animal health under the heavy weight of public scrutiny. Swine vets may be called upon to utilize their skill set to help train humanitarian response to emergencies and disasters like disease outbreak, fires, storms, floods, and droughts. Diseases and di­sasters know no borders. Our communication and collaborations cannot either. We cannot be competitors in situations like these. We must be teammates.

帮助识别猪群中的问题，特别是那些对邻近猪群或整个行业构成风险的问题，是猪兽医的作用之一。兽医不仅能够帮助识别任何问题；他们还努力实施解决方案，在公众监督的重压下确保动物健康。猪兽医可能会被要求利用他们的技能，帮助训练人类对紧急情况和灾害的反应，如疾病暴发、火灾、风暴、洪水和干旱。疾病和灾难不分国界。我们的沟通和合作也不能。在这样的情况下，我们不能成为竞争对手。我们必须成为队友。

年轻兽医对行业机会的看法

We have talked about some global issues facing our profession. Now it is time to shift our focus from a broader view to a more personal one.
我们已经谈到了我们的职业所面临的一些全球性问题。现在是时候把我们的注意力从更广泛的视角转移到更个人的视角。

Every new year brings reflection, analysis, and vision for the future for virtually every industry. The swine industry is no different. So how does the future look for us? How does it look for you? And how do we prepare for that future?

每一个新的一年，几乎每个行业都会带来反思、分析和对未来的展望。养猪业也不例外。那么，我们的未来是怎样的？对你来说是什么样子的？以及我们如何为这个未来做准备？

I would say the future looks pretty bright. Pork is the most consumed meat in the world. In general, pork production in the US has been on a steady increase for the past ten years, and it is not expected to decrease significantly. It is no secret that we like bacon … and sausage and ham. The US is the world’s third largest producer and consumer of pork and its products. In 2021, the US produced about 12.5 percent of the 100 million metric tons of pork produced.

我想说的是，未来看起来很光明。猪肉是世界上消费最多的肉类。一般来说，美国的猪肉产量在过去十年中一直在稳步增长，预计不会出现大幅减少的情况。我们喜欢培根......，还有香肠和火腿，这不是什么秘密。美国是世界上第三大猪肉及其产品的生产和消费国。2021年，美国生产的猪肉约占1亿公吨的12.5%。

The past few years, the US has been ranked first or second with regard to pork exports. In 2021, our pork exports surpassed 8.1 billion dollars in value. That is a whole lot of bacon.

过去几年，美国在猪肉出口方面一直位居第一或第二。2021年，我们的猪肉出口价值超过了81亿美元。那是一大堆培根。

The pork industry in our country continues to expand in spite of labor challenges and global swine health risks. Employment in the vet industry as a whole is expected to grow by 19 percent from 2021 to 2031, which outpaces many other sectors. For the upcoming decade, it is predicted that there will be 4800 openings for veterinarians each year. And while all of those will not be in the swine industry, when combining the job prospects for veterinary health and the growth of the pork industry, it stands to reason that the future looks very promising for swine vets in the US in the coming years. Regarding the future of swine veterinary medicine in the US, I would like to quote my colleague, Dr. Clayton Johnson. He said that the USA is still the best ride in the amuse­ment park.

尽管存在劳动力挑战和全球猪的健康风险，我国的猪肉行业在继续扩大规模。从2021年到2031年，整个兽医行业的就业率预计将增长19%，这超过了许多其他行业。在即将到来的十年里，据预测，每年将有4800个兽医的职位空缺。虽然所有这些都不会发生在养猪业，但综合猪兽医健康的就业前景和猪肉行业的增长，有理由相信，在美国，未来几年的猪兽医的前景看起来很有希望。关于美国猪兽医的未来，我想引用我的同事克莱顿·约翰逊博士的话。他说，美国仍然是娱乐园里最好的娱乐设施。

So how do young swine veterinarians and aspiring swine vets prepare to embrace the opportunities on the horizon to be able to enjoy the ride?

那么，年轻的猪兽医和有抱负的猪兽医如何准备迎接地平线上的机会，以便能够享受这段旅程？

First, I would tell you do not shy away from getting your hands dirty. Swine medicine, like other livestock medicine, is not like working in a clinic where people bring their coughing pig in for an evaluation and an antibiotic. Swine medicine means going to the farm, examining the herd, surveying conditions and taking samples. You cannot keep your hands or boots clean when working with pigs. Embrace the uniqueness of swine medicine over that which is applied to small animals. Instead of treating an individual animal, you are practicing population medicine. You make health recommendations that can influence thousands of animals. As herds grow, the more vets must rely on population consideration and a holistic thought process for problem solving. This may mean seeking additional advice and relying on other experts’ experiences. It is a hefty responsibility, but it is one you are capable of doing because you are here. You are willing to learn. You are willing to collaborate. You are willing to adjust and pivot when necessary.

首先，我想告诉你不要回避弄脏你的手。猪医学，像其他牲畜兽医一样，不像在诊所工作，人们把咳嗽的猪带到这里来做确诊和服用抗生素。猪兽医意味着要去猪场，检查猪群，调查情况和取样。在与猪打交道时，你不能保持你的手或靴子的清洁。拥抱猪兽医的独特性，而不是适用于小动物的医学。你不是在治疗个别动物，而是在从事群体医学。你提出的健康建议可以影响成千上万的动物。随着猪群的生长，兽医必须依靠群体考虑和整体思维过程来解决问题。这可能意味着要寻求额外的建议，并借助其他专家的经验。这是一个沉重的责任，但这是你有能力做到的，因为你身临其境。你愿意学习，你愿意合作，你愿意在必要时进行调整和转折。

I would also tell you to be pliable. As with everything, the only thing you can count on happening in the swine industry is that things will change. Change is never easy. Some changes will be for the good; some might not be. You have to be able to adapt as we learn more. Everything is subject to change—health risks, nutrition and feed ingredients, environmental conditions, genetics, diagnostics, and treatments. You need to be able to assess these items on any given farm and determine what do thesepigs need and how can I help thisproducer to provide those things. I challenge you to view changes as opportunities not obstacles.

我还想告诉你，要有柔韧性。就像所有事情一样，在养猪业中你能指望发生的唯一事情就是事情会发生变化。变化从来都不容易。有些变化是好的，有些可能不是。你必须能够适应，因为我们会学到更多。一切都会发生变化——健康风险、营养和饲料成分、环境条件、遗传学、诊断学和治疗。你需要能够评估任何给定农场的这些项目，并确定这些猪需要什么，以及我怎样才能帮助这个生产者提供这些东西。我向你提出挑战，把变化看作是机会而不是障碍。

Society rewards professions that inspire innovation and embody an entrepreneurial mindset. The swine industry desperately needs these two skills in order to continue to thrive in a world where the demand for more food increases, while the societal understanding of the actual production and cultivation of that food decreases. Our industry has to deal with a perception that is not always accurate or positive. As swine veterinarians, this is part of the mantle you must carry.

社会奖励那些激发创新和体现企业家精神的职业。养猪业迫切需要这两种技能，以便在一个对更多食物的需求增加，而社会对该食物的实际生产和栽培的了解却减少的世界中继续繁荣。我们的行业不得不面对一种并不总是准确或积极的看法。作为猪场的兽医，这是你们必须肩负的部分使命。

As new technologies become more readily available, you will need to examine how those things can be implemented to improve pork production. Utilizing new tools will allow improved health monitoring, will increase the accuracy of diagnostics, and will change the way you are able to provide care for the farms you serve. You will need to effectively communicate these ideas with clients. You have to be flexible in order to properly address these new challenges and utilize the new solutions. We live in a world with rapidly changing technology. Human healthcare is driven by this fast-paced change. Veterinary medicine has to go along for the ride, and sometimes be prepared to drive if we want to stay in control of our own destiny in regard to animal healthcare.

随着新技术越来越容易获得，你们将需要研究如何实施这些技术来改善猪肉生产。利用新的工具可以改善健康监测，提高诊断的准确性，并改变你能够为你所服务的农场提供护理的方式。你将需要与客户有效地沟通这些想法。你必须要有灵活性，以便能够正确应对这些新的挑战，利用新的解决方案。我们生活在一个技术快速变化的世界里。人类的医疗保健被这种快节奏的变化所驱动。兽医必须顺势而为，如果我们想在动物保健方面掌控自己的命运，有时还要准备开车。

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are poised to revolutionize the technology sector including animal health technologies. Virtual reality and telemedicine provide us with tools to connect with producers and farms in methods which were previously unfathomable. Because of biosecurity practices and other constraints that come with being a swine vet, you may have to utilize remote monitoring and care until you can visit a site in person. Use this capability as a way to be present when you cannot physically be present. Disease editing and resistance provide us with novel disease management tools that will forever change the way we think about disease control and elimination. Simply put, the practitioner who relies on outdated technologies and methods will quickly find themselves with outdated ideas and results. Embrace change, influence developments, and adapt to what the future brings.

人工智能和机器学习正准备彻底改变技术领域，包括动物健康技术。虚拟现实和远程医疗为我们提供了与生产者和农场联系的工具，这些方法在以前是无法想象的。由于生物安全实践和作为猪兽医的其他限制，你可能不得不利用远程监控和护理，直到你可以亲自去现场。利用这种技能，当你不能亲自到场时，你就可以在场。疾病编辑和细菌耐药性为我们提供了新的疾病管理工具，这将永远改变我们对疾病控制和消除的思考方式。简单地说，依赖过时的技术和方法的从业人员，将很快发现自己的想法和结果已经过时。拥抱变化，影响发展，并适应未来带来的环境和技术。

Medicine is becoming more and more specialized all the time, and veterinary medicine is not immune from this transition. While we all graduate as veterinary “generalists” many of us choose to develop a formal or informal specialty. Swine veterinarian pioneers such as Dr. Ralph Vinson, Dr. Steve Henry, Dr. Joe Connor, Dr. Roy Schultz, Dr. Larry Rueff, Dr. Tim Loula, and many others paved the way for the current and future generations to swine veterinarians to focus 100 percent on commercial swine production. They broke from the mixed animal practice concept that dominated the early era of their careers to chart their own specialty course, and we should similarly pioneer additional specialty expansion. Boar stud specialists such as Dr. Chris Kuster, Dr. Darwin Reicks, and Dr. Doug Groth have followed this model, taking it one level deeper and specializing within a specific production class of swine production. Academics follow this model regularly, but swine practitioners have yet to fully exploit specialization, and this is an opportunity for all of us to carve out our own niches in the industry and share our knowledge with other practitioners when it is appropriate for a specific case.

人类医学一直在变得越来越专业化，而兽医学也不能免于这种转变。虽然我们都是以兽医“通才”的身份毕业的，但我们中的许多人选择发展一个正式或非正式的专业。猪兽医先驱，如拉尔夫·文森(Ralph Vinson)博士、Steve Henry博士、Joe Connor博士、Roy Schultz博士、Larry Rueff博士、Tim Loula博士和其他许多人，为当前和未来几代猪兽医铺平了道路，使他们能够百分之百地专注于商业猪生产。他们打破了在其职业生涯早期占主导地位的混合动物实践概念，制定了自己的专业路线，同样我们也应该开创更多的专业扩展。种公猪专家，如Chris Kuster博士、Darwin Reicks博士和Doug Groth博士，都遵循了这一模式，将其更深一层，在养猪生产的特定生产类别中进行专业化。学术界经常遵循这种模式，但养猪业的从业者尚未完全利用专业化，这对我们所有人来说都是一个机会，可以在行业中开辟自己的发展空间，并在适合特定病例的时候与其他从业者分享我们的知识。

Remember when I spoke briefly about my first swine job in the US? That job was a lesson in adaptability. I wound up in an entry level position even with a veterinarian license. That first week, I knocked down cobwebs and scraped hog manure from in front and behind the sows in the farrowing barn. My former boss had been right after all. But so was I. I got paid.
还记得我曾简要地谈到过我在美国的第一份猪场工作吗？那份工作是堂适应性的课。尽管我有兽医执照，但还是被安排在一个初级职位上。第一个星期，我把产房中蜘蛛网打掉，刮去母猪前后的猪粪。我的前老板毕竟是对的，但我也是如此，我得到了报酬。

As time went on, I began to learn Spanish and became able to communicate better with my coworkers. Soon my responsibilities evolved from clean-up duty to vaccinating pigs at weaning and power washing the farrowing rooms. Eventually, I moved to day one processing of piglets. Over time, I worked through all the tasks to learn about confined swine production in the US. It was eye opening and quite educational to do tasks at each level on the farm.

随着时间的推移，我开始学习西班牙语，并能与我的同事们更好地沟通。很快，我的职责就从打扫卫生发展到为断奶期的仔猪接种疫苗和电动清洗产房。最后，我转而负责仔猪的第一天处理。随着时间的推移，通过所有的工作，我了解了美国的圈养猪生产。在农场的每个层面上做工作，让我大开眼界，颇具教育意义。

Eventually, the company was trying to fill a GGP (great grandparent) sow farm position because the person in the position was being promoted. I decided to interview for the job. The interviewer ultimately became my wife. I got the position. And she became my boss before she became my wife. Then after some time, I wound up being her boss, that is until I wrote her up when I mistakenly thought she was wrong. Thankfully, someone in the company had the wisdom to change things up, and I was not ever in a position where I would need to make such a monumental mistake again.

最后，公司试图填补一个GGP（曾祖父母）母猪场的职位，因为该职位的人正要被提升。我决定去面试这个职位。面试官最终成为我的妻子。我得到了这个职位。在她成为我妻子之前，她成了我的老板。一段时间后，我成了她的老板，直到我误以为她错了，才给她写信去。值得庆幸的是，公司里有人很明智地改变了现状，而我从未处于需要再次犯下如此重大错误的境地。

An important skill that will serve you well as a swine vet is the ability to multitask. You will not just serve as a diagnostician. You are going to be a teacher. You will need to be able to teach farm managers things to look for so they can alert you to issues as soon as they become a problem. You cannot be on every farm every day. The people who are there will be your eyes and ears in your absence. You are going to need to be an effective communicator.

作为一名猪兽医，一项重要的技能将使你受益匪浅，那就是多任务的能力。你将不仅仅是作为一个诊断师，你将成为一名教师。你需要能够教给猪场经理需要注意的事情，这样他们就能在问题出现时提醒你。你不可能每天都在每家农场。在你不在时，那里的人将成为你的眼睛和耳朵。你将需要成为一个有效的沟通者。

You will often be the voice between farm staff and owner. You will need to explain your observations and diagnostic results to the clients and then be able to advise them of the best course of action. You will be a researcher. As new obstacles arise, you will need to tap into your inner scientist to come up with a way to evaluate and test solutions. The vet role in food animal produc­tion will continue to optimize animal health while keeping the goal of human nutrition in mind. Enhanced animal welfare practices will conform to consumer mindsets. You will need to balance your knowledge of sustainable farming practices with herd health management, not to mention, you will be balancing a personal life along with your professional one

你将经常成为农场工作人员和农场主之间的代言人。你将需要向客户解释你的观察和诊断结果，然后能够向他们提出最佳执行方案。你将是一个研究者。当新的障碍出现时，你将需要挖掘你内心的科学家，想出一个评估和测试解决方案的方法。兽医在食用动物生产中的作用将是继续优化动物健康，同时牢记人类营养的目标。加强动物福利的做法将符合消费者的心态。你将需要平衡你的可持续农业实践知识和畜群健康管理，更不用说，你将在你的职业生活中平衡个人生活。

Another important thing to remember is that you should never stop learning. Dr. Hogg got his master’s degree when he was fifty-two years old and completed the Executive Veterinary Program when he was seventy-five. As I mentioned, the industry is constantly changing. Being a lifelong student creates the right mindset and attitude to be able to learn how to deal with these changes. When the opportunity arises for you to attend international veterinary programs, take it. Doing so will broaden your horizons, and it opens the lines of communication across borders and oceans. As discussed earlier and as we all understand even more now because of what we dealt with a couple of years ago, there are health crises that have far reaching impacts. Global understanding and teamwork are crucial to managing large scale problems.

另一件需要记住的重要事情，是你永远不应该停止学习。霍格博士在五十二岁时获得了硕士学位，在七十五岁时完成了行政兽医课程。正如我提到的，这个行业在不断变化。作为一个终身学生，创造了正确的心态和态度，能够学习如何应对这些变化。当有机会让你参加国际兽医课程时，请抓住它。这样做将拓宽你的视野，它打开了跨越国界和海洋的沟通渠道。正如前面所讨论的，而且由于我们几年前所处理的事情，我们现在都更加理解，存在着影响深远的健康危机。全面理解和团队合作是管理大规模问题的关键。

As a swine vet, you are going to face challenges and obstacles. I will tell you a secret; you will not have all the answers, and it is OK. You will research and consult and find the answer, and the whole process will help you learn. This constant state of learning and seeking knowledge will make you better for your clients. As the future of swine veterinary medicine, it will become your job to ensure that swine veterinary medicine continues to evolve by developing new techniques, asking new questions, innovating new models of educating, recruiting new minds with a range of backgrounds and approaches to problem solving, and helping new vets gain knowledge.

作为一名猪兽医，你将会面临挑战和困难。我要告诉你一个秘密；你不会有所有的答案，这也没关系。你会研究和咨询并找到答案，整个过程会帮助你学习。这种不断学习和寻求知识的状态，将使你更好地为你的客户服务。作为猪兽医的未来，通过开发新技术、提出新问题、创造新的教育模式、招募具有各种背景和解决问题方法的新思想，以及帮助新兽医获得知识，确保猪兽医继续发展将成为你的工作。

The opportunities are here. The brightness of your future in swine veterinary medicine is up to you. Ted Engstrom said that the rewards for those who persevere far exceed the pain that must precede the victory.

机会就在这里。你在猪兽医领域的前途光明，取决于你。泰德-恩格斯特罗姆说，那些坚持不懈的人的回报远远超过了胜利之前必须经历的痛苦。

What are you willing to do? What are you willing to learn? What are you willing to try?

你愿意做什么？你愿意学习什么？你愿意尝试什么？

So, what do I think the future of the swine vet field looks like? I think it looks like you.

那么，我认为猪兽医领域的未来是什么样子的？我认为它看起来像你。

Closing
结束语

While the last thirty years have seen the development of the swine veterinary systems of our current industry, there are significant risks to the model in place today. First and foremost, we face an immediate concern regarding incoming talent into the industry. While the current crops of students are extremely talented, recent salary surveys indicate the students interested in swine veteri­nary medicine are not being compensated as well as their peers in other species groups. Very few of us have the luxury to make career decisions independent of salary considerations, and for years, swine veterinarians enjoyed superior income rates than our peers in most other species groups. The last three years have seen this situation shift wildly out of our favor. We should be extremely concerned about how we can attract the top graduating veterinary talent given the new reality that our salaries are low compared to other opportunities. We must champion the value of our services and do everything we can to keep salaries as high as our competi­tion in the companion animal and mixed animal worlds.

虽然在过去三十年里，我们当前行业的猪兽医系统得到了发展，但目前的模式仍存在着重大风险。首先，也是最重要的，我们面临着关于进入该行业的人才的直接担忧。虽然目前的学生非常有才华，但最近的薪酬调查表明，对猪兽医感兴趣的学生没有得到像其他物种群体的同龄人那样的报酬。我们中很少有人能够在做出职业决定时不考虑工资因素，多年来，猪兽医享有比大多数其他物种组的同行更高的收入率。在过去的三年里，这种情况发生了巨大的变化，不再对我们有利。鉴于我们的工资与其他机会相比偏低的新现实，我们应该非常关注如何吸引即将毕业的顶级兽医人才。我们必须倡导我们的服务价值，并尽我们所能保持与伴侣动物和混合动物世界的竞争者一样高的工资。

In addition to compensation concerns, we have to be concerned about the lack of pig farm exposure children are able to access. Biosecurity rules, no visitor policies, and the placement of farms in very remote locations have all combined to make pig farms inaccessible to everyone but our regular employees. Think about the last time you took your child or a young relative to a pig farm – I am guessing that experience happens rarely if ever, and that is a considerable risk to AASV members. If we cannot improve access to our farms and industry, how can we ever hope to inspire young generations to desire a career in swine medicine?

除了赔偿问题外，我们还必须关注儿童无法接触到养猪场的问题。生物安全规则、禁止参观政策以及将猪场安置在非常偏远的地方，所有这些因素结合在一起，使得除了我们的正式员工之外，其他人无法进入猪场。想想你最后一次带你的孩子或年轻的亲戚去养猪场是什么时候——我猜这种经历很少发生，如果有的话，这对AASV成员来说是一个相当大的风险。如果我们不能改善进入我们的猪场和行业的机会，我们怎么能希望激发年轻一代对猪医学事业的渴望？

Veterinarians are considered trusted partners in protecting ani­mal, human, and environmental health. We are stewards of animal welfare, research, food animal production, and species conservation. These roles will always matter, meaning veterinarians will always matter. Make sure the decisions you make build those partnerships. They will be vital to your success.

兽医被认为是保护动物、人类和环境健康的可靠伙伴。我们是动物福利、研究、食用动物生产和物种保护的管理者。这些角色将永远重要，这意味着兽医将永远重要。确保你所做的决定建立了这些伙伴关系。他们对你的成功将是至关重要的。

As a whole, swine vets have excelled at treating individual sick pigs. But to continue to be relevant in the industry, we must remember the scientific process. We cannot just observe and take note. We need to create controlled experiments to test theories and ideas. We must be proactive in seeking solutions, not just reactive. Years ago a saying was coined that you might have heard. The saying was that it takes a village to raise a child. These days, I say it takes a village to take care of the world’s swine population. Being a vet encompasses knowledge in so many areas like ogy—areas we are not always experts in. Our individual success is limited by our ability to take clinical symptoms and relate them to the root biology of the issue. And then we have to conduct the proper diagnostic testing on the samples to support the diagnosis. Once an answer is found, treatment options become much more meaningful. Sometimes figuring all of this out takes the village. As we have seen with the current ASF break, we are going to need a village mindset to manage and control this issue.

作为一个整体，猪兽医在治疗个别发病猪方面表现出色。但要继续在行业中发挥作用，我们必须记住科学的过程。我们不能只是观察和注意。我们需要创建受控实验来测试理论和想法。我们必须积极主动地寻求解决方案，而不仅仅是被动的。几年前，有人提出了一个说法，你可能听说过。这句话是：养育一个孩子需要一个村庄。这些天，我说需要一个村庄来照顾世界上的猪群。作为一名兽医，我们包含了许多领域的知识，如生物学——我们并不总是专家。我们的个人成功受限于我们处理临床症状并将其与问题的根源生物学联系起来的能力。然后，我们必须对样本进行适当的诊断测试以支持诊断。一旦找到了答案，治疗方案就变得更有意义。有时，弄清这一切需要村里的人。正如我们在当前的ASF破坏中所看到的，我们将需要一个村庄中的所有人的思维来管理和控制这个问题。

When I came to the US, I was embarking on a mission to gain knowledge and perspective that I could take back home to build a career with. I never imagined I would gain so much more. I had not planned on finding my calling, creating a new home, finding my wife, and building an extended family. See what you can gain by taking risks, being pliable and choosing to embrace opportunities?

当我来到美国时，我的任务是获得知识和观点，以便我可以带回国建立一个职业。我从来没有想到我会得到这么多。我没有计划找到我的职业，建立一个新家，找到我的妻子，并组建一个大家庭。看看你能通过风险、灵活变通和选择抓住机会获得什么？

Our industry has certainly faced some challenges in recent years. But we are still here. In 1931, James Adams said America was the land of opportunity. And while many things have changed in the nine decades since then, America is still the land of opportunity. I leave you with this thought, Robert Collier said, “Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out.” Make those small efforts. Do the work. Success will find you. I challenge you to think broadly. Think boldly. We make our own future. Are you ready to help feed the world?

近年来，我们的行业确实面临一些挑战。但我们仍然身临其境。1931年，詹姆斯-亚当斯说美国是充满机会的土地。虽然在此后的90年里，许多事情都发生了变化，但美国仍然是充满机会的土地。我把这个想法留给你们，罗伯特-科利尔说：“成功是日复一日重复的微小努力的总和。”做出这些微小的努力，做好这些工作，成功会找到你。我向你提出挑战，让你广泛思考，大胆地思考。我们创造我们自己的未来。你准备好帮助养活世界了吗？