The four-day 25th International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) Congress came to a successful end on June 14, 2018, in Chongqing, China.
It’s the Congress’ debut show in China in its 50-year history. A celebration of its 50th anniversary was held on June 13.
“The 2018 Congress is an extremely important and memorable event in IPVS’ history,” said Dr. Francois van Niekerk, secretary-general of the society.
The IPVS Congress intends to provide an international exchange platform for the scientific and technological community and industry. Thousands of world-class pig veterinarians, researchers and industry scientists gather to share research results, discuss in-depth industry issues, analyze actual cases, and boost popularization of practical techniques, in order to promote the healthy development of pig veterinary business and the pig industry in the world. According to a tradition, all registered participants can become full members of the IPVS Congress. There are more than 10,000 members worldwide.
170 presentations on 8 topics
With the theme of “Healthy Pig, Safe Pork,” the 2018 Congress offered various and the latest research results on pig health, via invited keynote lectures, oral presentations, satellite symposiums and posters. Covering the eight topics of virology and viral diseases, bacteriology and bacterial diseases, emerging and re-emerging swine diseases, swine production and welfare, veterinary public health and food safety, nutrition and herd health management, swine farm management and environmental control, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, there were total 170 presentations by the speakers. Among them, the 37 keynote speakers are the authoritative figures in the field of pig veterinary worldwide, representing the world-class levels in the sector. The event also offered many opportunities for young veterinarians around the world to demonstrate themselves.
Besides of the academic discussions, the four satellite symposiums organized by leading global animal health companies also brought exciting presentations to the participants. With the development of the industry, there are a variety of methods for animal health companies to serve pig farms and industries. Based on the deep understanding of customer needs, these companies are able to combine their characteristics and advantages with solutions, and the satellite symposiums are just some examples. According to one of the presentations, the latest artificial intelligence (AI) tools have been applied in some pig farms in China, helping monitor and diagnose pig health, and track the safety of animal food.
International Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Symposium
A parallel event with the Congress was the International Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Symposium (IPRRS 2018), which offered total 21 presentations on the topics of genetic diversity and evolution, epidemiology and clinical diseases, virus-host interaction and pathogenesis. The event showcased the latest veterinary research achievements on PRRS, enriching the entire content of the Congress.
The sessions of the 2018 Congress were held simultaneously, and participants could attend the specific ones on their actual needs and interests. The success of the Congress also benefited from 18 professional presenters and 13 senior veterinarians who provided simultaneous interpretations.
According to Professor Hanchun Yang, president of IPVS 2018, the Congress attracted 5,599 registered delegates from 42 countries, including 1,479 delegates from overseas, and the top five sources were Thailand, South Korea, U.S., the Philippines and Spain. He attributed the great success to all speakers, presenters, interpreters and the executive committee of the Congress, as well as the solid support from strategic partners and sponsors, and the hard work by the organizing team and volunteers.
Awards were also granted at the closing ceremony of the Congress. A total of 11 scientists received the 2018 Boehringer Ingelheim PRRS Research Award and the PEDC Research Award, as well as Youth Veterinarian Award.
Dr. Francois van Niekerk presided an IPVS General Assembly and announced modification of the Society’s statute. Leipzig, Germany was voted to host the 2022 IPVS Congress.
The 25th IPVS Congress formally closed as Yang handed the president’s badge to Professor Fernanda Almeida, president-elect of IPVS 2020 in Brazil.
