First announcement

5th International Workshop on Streptococcus suis (5^th IWSs): Advanced Research in the Era of Antimicrobial Restriction

Streptococcus suis is a swine re-emerging pathogen and an emerging zoonotic agent afflicting people in close contact with infected pigs or pork meat, especially in Asia, making this bacterium a primary health concern in this part of the globe. In pigs, S. suis disease results in decreased performance, increased mortality and extensive use of antimicrobials, having a significant economic impact on swine production worldwide. Facing the new regulations in preventive use of antimicrobials in livestock and lack of effective vaccines, control of S. suis infections became worrisome. Indeed, S. suis research attracted the attention of the scientific community worldwide in the last years. Therefore, in 2013, with the aim to unify the growing “S. suis research family” the “1^st International Workshop on Streptococcus suis (IWSs)” was jointly organized by Canada and China and took place in Beijing. It successfully reunited for the first time more than 80 researchers and students working on S. suis in the same room. Following the success of this workshop, the 2^nd IWSs was held in Argentina in 2014, whereas the 3^rd and the 4^th IWSs took place in Germany (2106) and Canada (2019), respectively.

As one of the milestones of a Canada-Thailand collaborative grant financed by the International Development Research Center under InnoVet-AMR: Innovative Veterinary Solutions for Antimicrobial Resistance Programs, the 5^th International Workshop on Streptococcus suis (5^th IWSs) is jointly organized with the 8th International Symposium on Emerging and Re-emerging Pig Diseases (ISERPD 2023) and is held in Bangkok, Thailand in June 2023. We expect over 100 researchers and trainees from all over the world to present and discuss recent advances on this challenging swine and zoonotic pathogen. An important aim of the workshop is building an opportunity for knowledge exchange involving stakeholders (veterinarians and swine producers) on the risk posed by S. suis infection, diagnostics, and preventive measures.

We are pleased to welcome you in Bangkok and we hope you will enjoy the exciting program of the workshop,