Articles - Pig health

An accurate diagnosis is sometimes difficult because of the common occurrence of mixed infections, the compounding effects of environment and nutrition and the difficulties experienced in isolating and identifying all the possible pathogenic agents involved.

After 24 years of experience we still don't have a control plan agreed upon and accepted by all our technical community. Why?

The transmission of PEDV through the feed supply chain is an example of a complex disease transmission pathway that triggered swine feed industry stakeholders to collaborate in understanding and addressing the risk factors.

The accuracy and security provided by the combination of samples of weaned pigs and piglets at birth, either stillborn or live piglets, help us make a decision that will be crucial in any eradication plan.

Only a few EU countries are discussing national eradication as a possibility.

An erythema multiforme (EM) was noticed in the majority (90%) of breeding stock, associated with respiratory problems and without mortality.

This study investigated the prevalence of ETEC positive pigs in farms without clinical signs of diarrhea, and the antibiotic resistance pattern observed amongst ETEC strains isolates.

I truly believe some strains of this bacterium are pathogenic for piglets and can cause diarrhea and reduced growth rate; however, we do not know yet how to identify them!

The classification system for PRRSV status of herds is based upon a set of definitions reflecting the biology and ecology of PRRSV.

The tissue damage is the consequence of direct apoptosis (and necrosis) of alveolar macrophage and their neighboring cells due to the release of apoptotigenic cytokines, reactive oxygen species, and nitric oxide.

The rate and sequence of mucosal immune maturity from birth to an ‘adult-type’ pig is an important determinant of subsequent performance, health and survival, and hence impacts on the efficiency and profitability of pork production.

Senecavirus A (SVA) has been suggested as a causative agent of idiopathic vesicular disease in pigs. Additionally, a neonatal losses syndrome, affecting piglets of 0-7 days of age, associated with SVA has recently been reported.

A series of unsuccessful measures are taken until the problem is finally solved.

If we back away from the specifics of E. coli and consider the big picture of infectious disease we can gain some broader insights on control methods.

Currently, no single RT-PCR assay could be recommended as a universal method allowing for detection of all PRRSV strains with optimal sensitivity.

This article deals with the factors to be considered for deciding the optimal time of vaccination against PCV2  and shows the results of a study that evaluates the efficacy of different vaccination programs in PCV2 subclinically infected piglets.

Infection with swine influenza virus and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome during the suckling period was associated with an increase in post-weaning mortality (more limited in the case of SIV and of larger magnitude for PRRSV).

In Korea, it is common to vaccinate sows as a whole-herd mass vaccination program, where all sows are vaccinated quarterly with a type 2 PRRSV vaccine. Therefore, it is recommended to vaccinate breeding females quarterly with additional type 1 PRRSV vaccine to control type 1 PRRSV infection.

The article suggests measuring external risks in order to compare swine farms based on a numerical figure, and thus initiate corrective measures to improve and numerically verify the improvements achieved.

Understanding potential causes of lameness can help reduce the levels of lameness in the breeding herd and thus improve farm productivity and sow welfare.

Type 1 PRRSV is highly prevalent in Korean swine herds and currently reproductive failure is more important consequence of infection with type 1 PRRSV, than is respiratory diseases in growing pigs.

All sequenced PEDV isolates that were found recently within European countries were most closely related to so called S INDEL PEDV, which was originally described in the US in January 2014.

The aim of the main nutritional strategies is to ensure a beneficial effect on the digestive flora of piglets and their intestinal health after weaning, thus reducing the risk of colibacillosis.

This article describes a new syndrome in pigs that causes external and internal birth defects, especially in the liver and heart.