Pork Checkoff News
Swine Veterinarians Champion Pig Health and Welfare at AASV Annual Meeting
Swine experts in animal health and welfare gathered in San Francisco, California for AASV’s 56th annual meeting.
Dr. Marisa Rotolo
Director of Swine Health
Dr. Marisa Rotolo joined the National Pork Board as director of swine health in December 2023. Her work includes overseeing NPB’s Swine Disease Research Task Force and supporting programs such as the Certified Swine Sampler Collector Program, Secure Pork Supply and AgView®. She is also involved in multiple industry-related working groups.
Background
Dr. Rotolo came to NPB from Pig Improvement Company of North America, where she was a health assurance veterinarian for four years. At PIC, she managed the health of owned and contract multiplication farms and led efforts for foreign animal disease preparedness. She also oversaw health requirements for live animal exports to countries worldwide and was heavily involved in the development of the PRRS-resistant pig.
Before joining PIC, she was a postdoctoral research associate in a cooperative agreement between the USDA Center of Epidemiology and Animal Health and the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, where she focused on validating diagnostic tools and developing surveillance strategies for foreign animal diseases.
Education
- Bachelor of Science in biological sciences, University of Denver
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University
- Doctor of Philosophy in veterinary microbiology with an emphasis in preventive medicine and production animal disease surveillance, Iowa State University
Industry Involvement
Dr. Rotolo is active the veterinary community and serves on several industry committees, including the American Association of Swine Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association. She has also participated in the National Pork Board’s Foreign Animal Disease Research Task Force.
Dr. Rotolo currently co-leads the AASV Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Elimination Task Force, which is working to lay the foundation for a potential PEDV elimination program. The task force was commissioned to identify knowledge gaps, explore tools for disease control and serve as subject matter experts to define a PEDV category for U.S. Swine Health Improvement Plan. Dr. Rotolo also co-chairs the AASV Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Committee.
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