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A CFD-informed barn-level swine disease dissemination model and its use for ventilation optimization
Maryam Safari1, Christian Fleming2, Jason A Galvis2
1Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA.
Epidemics
|May 31, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a framework to model airborne disease spread in swine barns using a computational fluid dynamics-augmented SIR model. Optimizing ventilation and sick pen placement significantly reduces disease transmission.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Epidemiology
- Animal Husbandry
- Environmental Engineering
Background:
- Airborne infectious diseases spread rapidly in confined livestock facilities like commercial swine barns.
- Effective disease control strategies are crucial to prevent epidemic propagation in dense animal populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a framework for studying airborne disease dissemination in swine barns.
- To optimize ventilation and sick animal pen placement for disease control.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model integrated with Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
- Constructed a pen-to-pen contact network and transmission matrix based on airborne pathogen transport.
- Employed a genetic algorithm to optimize ventilation fan configuration and placement.
Main Results:
- Sick pen location and ventilation significantly influenced disease spread dynamics.
- Curtain adjustments altered disease spread by up to 64.8% reduction or 5.8% increase.
- Optimized ventilation reduced disease spread by an average of 20% compared to original settings.
Conclusions:
- The CFD-augmented SIR model provides insights into pathogen transport and disease spread within barns.
- Strategic management of ventilation and sick pens is key to mitigating airborne disease transmission in swine facilities.
