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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.
Swine internal parasites (worms) are estimated to cost 250 million dollars annually in the United States but they are not considered to be swine killers. Internal parasites devitalize pigs by robbing them of essential nutrients and injuring vital organs. Pigs heavily parasitized are more susceptible to diseases such as scours and pneumonia. The resulting diseases and unthriftiness are a major cause of economic loss. Swine producers should be aware of the common internal parasites of swine and...
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Preventing Swine Disease Build-Up Swine disease outbreaks are often related to a high concentration of pigs raised continuously in the same facility or accumulation of disease producing organisms in the environment. These organisms can keep reinfecting the herd. In addition, the movement of hogs from farm to farm can introduce new infectious disease-producing agents into the herd. The possibility of an outbreak can be greatly...
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The diverse microbial flora of the gastro intestinal tract contributes to the nutrition, immunology, protection and therefore also health of the host animal. The vast limitations opposed to...
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Researchers have identified a new strain of swine influenza—H2N3—which belongs to the group of H2 influenza viruses that last infected humans during the 1957 pandemic. This new strain has a molecular twist: It is composed of avian and swine influenza genes. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) veterinarians Juergen Richt, Amy Vincent, Kelly Lager and Phillip Gauger conducted this research with Iowa State University (ISU) visiting scientist Wenjun Ma, ISU veterinarian Bruce Janke and...
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“Glasser’s disease poses a serious threat, and by providing solutions such as Pulmotil Premix, Elanco can help Canadian hog producers compete in the world marketplace,” says Dr. Marie Anne Paradis, a Senior Research and Development Scientist with Elanco. “This approval in Canada – the first for this disease – is a demonstration of Elanco’s commitment to innovation.” Elanco received Canadian regulatory approval Oct. 2, 2007, for the sale of Pulmotil Premix as an...
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New studies led by the Animal Sciences Group at the Wageningen University in the Netherlands have confirmed that using specific plant extracts proved to be effective for organic deworming in pigs. Researchers stated that the combination of conventional synthetic drugs and a diet with herb mixture containing Thymus vulgaris , Melissa officinalis and Echinacea purpurea is a good option for organic farmers with mild infection levels of Ascaris suum in...
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Effect of Sc 47 probiotic yeast on the health and zootechnical performance of weaned piglets
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On Friday, November 23, Lallemand Animal Nutrition and ISPAIA, the French Institute for Animal Production and Agro Industry, hold a technical meeting dealing with the nutrition and health issues around sow’s farrowing, the cornerstone of pig production cycles. The event focused on the importance of a balanced digestive microflora and the unique potentials of probiotic yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, for which research and development have been driven by human applications for over 50...
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Pigs can now be added to the list of potential carriers of the drug-resistant "superbug" methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Researchers at the University of Guelph have discovered the bacterium in 25 per cent of pigs and 20 per cent of hog farmers in Ontario. Their study — the first in North America — was published this week in the journal Veterinary Microbiology. It's an important finding because it shows the bacterium can be readily passed from...
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The world’s first symposium on sow lameness will take place in Minneapolis on April 2-4, 2008. It is an invitation-only event, organised by Zinpro Performance Minerals, bringing together an expert international panel of nutritionists, veterinarians, and animal scientists to share their knowledge with the swine industry. Attendees from 21 countries are expected. Sow Lameness Project In 2004, the company joined with other individuals in the industry to...
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A zoonosis is an infectious disease naturally transmissible between vertebrates and man. At first sight the list of potential zoonoses is quite imposing; however when the exotic and rare zoonoses are removed from the list it is easier to focus on a relatively short list of important pathogens. Whilst the threat of zoonoses from pig meat is significantly lower than that from other species, it is vitally important that all parties involved in the pig industry focus on reducing the risk of...
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It is estimated that in 2030 the world population will be close to eight billion people, which corresponds to an annual increase of 4%. In the same period, global food production is projected to increase by only 2% per year. Therefore, given that an increasing amount of grain and oilseed crops will be used for human food, a growing concern exists in terms of a shortage of conventional feedstuffs to be used in animal production. Additionally, legislation in some countries has banned the use...
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Intervet Inc. announced yesterday the full U.S. Department of Agriculture license for Circumvent PCV (Porcine Circovirus Vaccine, Type 2, Killed Baculovirus Vector), which provides a superior solution for the control and management of Porcine Circovirus Associated Disease (PCVAD). The vaccine is labeled as "For use in healthy swine, 3 weeks of age or older, as an aid in the prevention of viremia and as an aid in the prevention of virus shedding caused by Porcine Circovirus." ...
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Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are part of a team that has found a vital clue for battling a disease called porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), which costs U.S. swine producers about $560 million annually. PRRSV-infected pigs are susceptible to pneumonia and reproductive losses, and infected sows give birth to weak piglets. It can take weeks or even months for them to recover from the virus, which evolves and adapts quickly to environmental...
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It is now clear that Bio-Mos® improves the growth performance of young pigs (Miguel et al., 2004). The response occurs over a wide range of weaning ages, types of diets, and dietary Bio-Mos® concentrations, and with or without antibiotics in the diet. The performance improvement is greatest during the early days after weaning, and is greater in situations where pigs grow more slowly, but we did not identify other factors consistently related to the Bio-Mos® response. The greater...
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China is stepping up efforts against an outbreak of deadly pig disease that has spread through much of the vast nation and sent pork prices skyrocketing, the Agriculture Ministry said Thursday. Blue ear, also known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, has infected 280,000 pigs since the start of the year, killing more than 70,000, chief veterinary officer Jia Youling was quoted as saying at a news conference by the official Xinhua News Agency. China has already...
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A Red Deer, Alberta based swine veterinarian reports a relatively new antibacterial, approved for use in swine and cattle, is proving highly effective in treating swine respiratory disease. Swine respiratory diseases can be caused by either bacterial or viral organisms. Draxxin, distributed by Pfizer Animal Health, is the first of a new class of antimicrobials, called triamilides, developed specifically for veterinary use. Dr. Chris Misutka, with Prairie Swine Health...
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Effect of Sc 47 probiotic yeast on the health and zootechnical performance of weaned piglets
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Abstract presented at the 41st University of Nottingham Feed Conference. Our deep appreciation to the authors and the kindly cooperation of Prof. Julian Wiseman, Professor of Animal Production / Head of Division, Division of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, School of Biosciences a the University of Nottingham, UK. ...
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Those who provide daily care for animals in production agriculture are acutely aware of the importance of animal health. From an economic perspective, as record systems (both performance and financial) used in animal agriculture have become markedly more sophisticated during the last two decades, they have increasingly shown the importance of keeping animals healthy for the economic strength of the production unit and the industry. Indeed, the willingness of animal producers to make...
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Perinatal mortality still plagues the swine industry despite improving knowledge on neonatal physiology, nutrition, health and management. Currently, across Europe one out of 5 to 6 piglets born (i.e., 17 to 20%) does not survive from the onset of farrowing until weaning at 3-4 weeks of age. In France, this means that 6.5 million piglets are lost each year. It is clear that these losses have a serious economic impact while being unacceptable for ethical reasons. Piglet mortality...
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Within a few years, post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) has become a worldwide animal health concern to the pig industry and a real challenge to the veterinary science community. A small single-stranded DNA virus, Porcine Circovirus type 2 (PCV2), was rapidly found in the damaged tissues of affected pigs. However as soon as the laboratory tools adequately tailored to PCV2 detection on a large scale were available, it became evident that the virus was widespread and...
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