How DARO’s Tech Enhances Swine Disease Detection

By Scout Nelson

DARO, an innovative ag-tech startup based at Nebraska Innovation Campus, is taking a major step forward in swine disease prevention. With Nebraska being home to over 3.7 million pigs, DARO is using cutting-edge science to improve livestock health, focusing on a pathogen surveillance approach that goes beyond traditional methods like blood tests or oral fluids. The company's system provides whole-herd surveillance, leveraging molecular biology to ensure accurate results.

A significant part of DARO’s focus is monitoring for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), a disease that costs the U.S. swine industry over $1.2 billion annually. The company aims to provide early detection through molecular analysis of livestock samples, enabling producers to take action before an outbreak occurs.

As Nebraska’s swine industry generates $6 billion each year and ranks sixth in pork production nationwide, the need for accurate disease monitoring is critical. DARO’s technology will enable producers to track potential threats, such as African Swine Fever (ASF), which is currently absent in the U.S. but has caused devastation in other parts of the world.

DARO's pathogen surveillance system aims to make pathogen data as accessible and reliable as weather reports, offering swine producers real-time insights to prevent diseases like ASF, for which no treatment or vaccine currently exists. “Our goal is to make pathogen data available and accessible just like people interact with weather reports and forecasts,” said Kristen Bernhard, DARO founder and CEO. “We want it early and accurate.”

DARO's multidisciplinary team, including experts from fields like population genetics and molecular testing, has developed this proprietary technology independently. The company plans to expand its services beyond swine to other livestock sectors and offer additional products in the future.

By providing an early detection system, DARO is poised to revolutionize how the swine industry manages disease prevention and strengthen Nebraska's position in the national pork production market.

Photo Credit: istock-srdjan-stepic