Articles - Pig health

Assessing lung lesions at slaughter is useful for monitoring their evolution over time, and thus estimating the effectiveness of the measures implemented to control these diseases.

The choice of cut-off point influences sensitivity, specificity, and the occurrence of false positives or negatives. We explain why the timing of collection and the purpose of the test make a difference in interpreting the results.

Boosting key performance indicators in swine production requires addressing viral pathogens, which remain a major challenge for swine health, performance, and farm profitability. Emerging strains, such as H1N2#E and devastating diseases like ASF, highlight the urgency for innovative control strategies. C12 monoglycerides represent a promising approach to enhance pigs’ immune defenses and mitigate viral impact.

High sensitivity, specificity, and an affordable cost make ELISA an indispensable tool in laboratory routines. This infographic explains the mechanisms, components, and main variations of this assay in a visual and objective way.

When losses and costs from poor health threaten the current and future farm profitability, perhaps a “clean slate” should be considered.

Oral vaccination in pigs, previously limited to enteric pathogens, is emerging as an innovative strategy against respiratory diseases. By building on the potential of the Common Mucosal Immune System (CMIS), new formulations can trigger immune responses in distant mucosal sites starting from the gut.

We need a container for syringes, needles, medicine bottles, sprays, and markers. Sometimes you see improvised and inadequate containers on farms, but the one presented here is very simple and functional.

Chronic inflammation is one of the main challenges in modern pig production, affecting intestinal health, productive performance, and feed efficiency. In light of increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use, functional nutrition emerges as a key tool.

Professor Nauwynck has been researching PCV2 virus since the emergence of PCV2-associated diseases. PCV2 caused a serious crisis in global swine health that was ultimately addressed through the development and mass deployment of effective PCV2 vaccines. He is an excellent connoisseur of this small virus that continues to surprise us.

Digestive diseases in pigs that were previously addressed individually, targeting a single pathogen, now form a digestive disease complex that we must confront from various angles.

Hans Nauwynck defines himself as a veterinary virologist, a person who works in a laboratory setting, doing precise work, like a surgeon, aiming to gain a better understanding of how animal viruses interact with their target cells. But it is much more. His deep understanding of the biological behavior of viruses allows him to fluently explain many of the “whys” that are so important for a better understading of the pathogenesis of viral diseases and the development of effective control strategies.

PRRS control measures also reduce the opportunities for different wild-type viruses to recombine and create more aggressive strains.

Two models of exoskeletons were tested on farms to evaluate whether they improved working conditions during piglet vaccination.

The first three years of the Danish PRRS reduction strategy have shown that it is possible to control and reduce the prevalence of PRRS in Danish pig production.

In the first two months, the outbreak caused more than 600 abortions and more than 150 sow deaths, destroying the weekly batch structure.

The last of the three summaries by Antonio Palomo dedicated to the 2024 edition of the Allen D. Leman Conference focuses on health: biosecurity and viral and bacterial diseases.

We analyze the two most relevant respiratory viruses in the swine population.

In this last article in the series we discuss the main causes of “vaccine failure”, i.e. when we aren't sure that vaccines are working or they are only partially working.

After interpreting the lesions we must proceed to sample collection.

Beta glucans can boost the vaccinal response, thus helping to achieve an optimal vaccinal response. If they are supplied during enough time to cover the whole vaccination programme this strategy could be an option to improve the vaccine response.

Histopathology can provide a strong framework to establish the real causality of a clinical problem.

Nutrition plays a major role in the immune response. The interaction of different dietary components with other factors such as environment, health status, and genetics plays an important role in modulating the immune response.

In the fifth installment of the manual we address the examination of the organs of the abdominal cavity.

This article describes the main characteristics of commercial vaccines to combat PRRS.