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Swine health
Pig diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa, nutritional deficiencies, poisonous substances, internal and external parasites.
Bacterial diseases include swine erysipelas, swine dysentery, infectious poly-arthritis etc. Viral and mycoplasma diseases include African swine fever, swine influenza, enzootic pneumonia of pigs, vesicular exanthema of swine, transmissible gastroenteritis etc. Helminthiasis as a health problem in pigs is mainly caused by worms like the lungworm, ascaris worm etc. Nutritional diseases include piglet anemia, parakeratosis etc. External parasitic infections include mange, lice, jiggers etc.
How to tell that a pig is in bad health:
General signs: dullness, loss of appetite, labored or rapid breathing, sudden deaths, loss of weight, low weight gain and fever usually manifested by shivering of the pig.
Signs expressed on the skin: reddening of the skin or skin discoloration, loss of hair and hardening of some parts of the skin, itching and cracking of the skin.
Other signs: lameness, cough, abnormal nasal discharges, diarrhea with a putrid smell, abnormal content and color of feces and abortions.
1. Introduction The swine industry faces numerous sanitary and environmental challenges that can significantly affect pig health and productivity (Le Floc’h et al., 2021; Gomes et al., 2023). These challenges include infectious diseases, environmental stressors, and management practices that can result in the overactivation of the immune system and oxidative stress in pigs (Pluske et al., 2018). Various challenge models have been employed to simulate commercial stress...
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Scientific rationale and the value of synergistic blends WHY SCIENCE MATTERS MORE THAN “NATURAL” CLAIMS? Pig production is undergoing a structural shift driven by antimicrobial-resistance concerns and stricter stewardship expectations. In the European Union, antibiotic growth promoters have been banned for years, and therapeutic use is increasingly controlled while prophylactic is no longer allowed. Producers are therefore expected to maintain performance and...
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May 5, 2026
Canada - Alberta - Edmonton
Anita Menconi, Regional Business Director for Specialty Nutrition, Americas at Evonik, shares her perspective on how specialty nutrition will support animal health and performance toward 2026. She also addresses how nutrition and gut health solutions can help maintain productivity as antibiotic use in animal production continues to decline. ...
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Introduction: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M hyo) and Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2) are of high economic impact in the swine industry. To select a vaccination scheme against both pathogens, the following points will be taken into consideration by the veterinarians and the farmers: efficacy, safety, ease of use. The aim of this side by side study was to compare the impact of 3 vaccination programs on piglet’s performance shortly after vaccination and at...
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Introduction: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a sub-unit PEDV vaccine (Harris Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Vaccine, RNA®) in an endemically infected breeding herd that had experienced elevated pre-weaning mortality (40-60%) for 26 weeks. Materials and Methods: On May 4, 2014 a 2,500 head breeding farm reported watery diarrhea and vomiting in 7-day-old piglets. Samples were negative for TGE, but positive for PEDV by PCR. Sequencing...
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Introduction: Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a member of the family Coronaviridae that causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydratation. PEDV can infect pigs of any age, however high mortality rates are commonly observed in newborn piglets. This virus was first observed in Belgium in 1971, and during the next few years PEDV spread across the Europe. By 2013 disease was believed to be restricted to Asian countries. However, later that year some outbreaks of...
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The True Future of the Agribusiness and Livestock Sector in 2026
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Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) continues to inflict substantial economic losses on pig-producing countries worldwide by causing severe diarrhea, dehydration, and high mortality in newborn piglets. Its rapid fecal–oral transmission and ability to spread explosively within and between farms make it both...
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The question of where pig welfare should be by 2025 is intertwined with the broader question of what does a healthy future for the pig sector look like. As regards welfare the EU pig sector needs to respond to the recognition by the EU Treaty that animals are “sentient beings” and that “full regard” must be paid to their welfare requirements. Globally, the pig sector should respect the OIE Guiding principles for animal welfare ; these stress that...
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Technical Advances in Vitamin Physical Properties and Premix Performance
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Introduction: The report describes a sudden outbreak of disease in suckling piglets associated to S. suis in a high-health herd where S. suis had never previously been demonstrated. Materials and Methods: The high health herd was established by purchase from two SPF herds in 2002-2003, and had since been self-recruting. New genes were introduced by AI. The farm was declared free from PRRS, APP, SEP, AD, SIV, B. hyodysenteriae ,...
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Introduction: Pre-weaning piglet mortality is an important economic and welfare problem in commercial pig industry and is mainly due to an energy deficit. Management strategies, such as energy supplementation to neonatal piglets, are needed to reduce pre-weaning mortality. Energy supplements may provide directly energy to neonatal piglets as well as improve their colostrum intake. In practice, energy supplementation can be easily implemented in the farrowing management....
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Introduction: Yersinia enterocolitica infection in pigs has several implications as an enteropathogen of pigs and humans, and as a cause of false-positive serological reactions (FPSR) in tests for brucellosis (international trade implications). Swine are the primary reservoir of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica , although environmental survival may also be important. Few studies focused on the dynamics of infection at farm level. In pigs, Y....
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Introduction: High mortality in the pig industry is a welfare problem as well as it reduces the farmer's income. The Danish Pig farmers have decided to reduce the mortality with 20 % before 2020 compared to the 2011 level. For each percent the mortality is reduced in the farrowing units the gross margin per sow per year is increased by 6 euro. The objective of this study was to provide knowledge of the differences in management, health, feeding, and housing...
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Introduction: Pseudorabies is one of the important infectious diseases, causing enormous economic losses to swine industry. Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is the causative agent that is monitored mainly from nasal swabs and tissue samples collected from pigs. Oral swabs have been widely used for the detection of classical swine fever virus (CSFV), foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), porcine circovirus type 2(PCV2) and porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) in...
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Introduction: Senecavirus A (SVA) is an emerging pathogen first reported recently in Brazil, causing vesicular disease in sows and finishing pigs. There is still lack of information regarding the pathogenicity and dynamics of infection. The objective of this abstract is to report the previous results of a tentative protocol of Senecavirus A elimination. Materials and Methods: The tentative protocol was conducted in a sow farm, where vesicular lesions...
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A Longer Adaptation Period to a Functional Amino Acid-supplemented Diet Improves Growth Performance and Attenuates Acute-phase Response in Salmonella Typhimurium-challenged Pigs
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Introduction: Streptococcus suis infections have a huge impact on animal welfare and economical performance in pig farms. Furthermore, they hinder the restrictive use of antimicrobials (AMB) because oral treatment is an important tool to control the disease. Epidemiological studies have shown a high level of diversity in S. suis serotypes (st) between geographical regions and within farms. This has hampered the development and availability of effective...
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Introduction: Pig herds are frequently infected with Salmonella Typhimurium. Infections are mostly subclinical and difficult to control with the currently available control measures. Vaccination might be effective to control Salmonella infections at farm level and hence be a promising tool to reduce the risk for human salmonellosis. Materials and Methods: In this study, five different vaccination strategies (1. vaccination of sows; 2....
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Introduction: Pork and pork products are recognised as vehicles of Salmonella Typhimurium ( S . Typhimurium) infection in humans. In recent years, galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and seaweed extracts (SWE) have been explored as novel sources of bioactive compounds that contain antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. The main bioactives in seaweed are the polysaccharides laminarin and fucoidan, which have antimicrobial, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory...
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Introduction: Salmonella Typhimurium has been a constant problem on a 1,000 sow unit from birth to bacon. Clinical signs included scour, ill thrift and high mortality during the first 8 weeks post-weaning. Acidification of diets and the use of antibiotics has been the traditional approach for controlling clinical signs of disease. Since the introduction of new genetics in 2014 and PRRSv (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory virus) in 2015, there has been an increase in...
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Introduction: A 3-year-old Landrace boar with a bilateral swelling of the scrotum was submitted to the Swine clinic in August. History reported a period of hyperthermia, anorexia, depression and weight loss in May. Recovery was obtained after a treatment based on antibiotic (lincomycin and ceftiofur) and anti-inflammatory (steroid) medication injections. In July, the boar fell down after a supervised natural mating. Materials and Methods: The present...
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Introduction: Leptin is the hormone produced in the adipocytes of white adipose tissue. Concentration of leptin in blood serum is correlated with thickness of backfat. It was confirmed that sows with higher leptin concentration show heat faster after weaning. To properly choose sows for mating, it is necessary to determine their body condition. It could be done using BCS (subjective method) or USG (objective method). In the literature breeding condition is described as...
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