What causes coughing in pigs?
Any factor that irritates or inflames the respiratory system will elicit the physiological response of either sneezing or coughing or both. Although alarming and indicative of disease, coughing is at least a sign that normal physiological responses are taking place and should not in isolation be necessarily seen as a bad thing. We may have sudden or generalized outbreaks of coughing as well as a constant coughing in pig groups. There are infectious pathogenic agents that are normally associated with coughing or laboured breathing in pigs such as Actinobacillus, Bordetella, Haemophilus, Pasteurella Streptococcus, Mycoplasma, SIV, PRRSV or PCV2.