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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.
Haematomas [hematomas] of the ear in pigs cause discomfort in swine and are a chronic problem in many swine units. If left untreated, a haematoma will usually resolve by itself; however, this may take several weeks and cause discomfort for the pig. Ear haematomas result from various traumas. Pigs may develop these haematomas from shaking their heads because of irritants in the external ear canal, such as mange, or because of inner ear infections. Haematomas also commonly result from injuries...
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Editor's Note: Dr. Scott Dee of the Swine Disease Eradication Center, University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine was invited to deliver a lecture at the AD Leman Conference, "The future of PRRS in North America: What will the next decade bring"? Dr. Dee's expertise in PRRS research positions him well to comment on this important topic.
I appreciate the opportunity to present my vision of the future of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in North...
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Lice may often go unrecognized in a swine herd, even though these parasites are widely distributed among herds in the United States. Lice infestation is often not considered a serious problem, but it may lead to economic losses for the producer. It is important for the producer to watch for signs of lice infestation and to be able to recognize these parasites on swine.
About the...
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The Taipei-based Swine Association strongly urged the government Saturday not to vaccinate the country's pigs against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) , despite outbreaks of the disease in central Taiwan earlier this month.
The practice of vaccinating pigs against the disease had nearly been eliminated in Taiwan by the end of last year, but with the recent outbreaks at two farms in Yunlin and Changhua counties, the Council of Agriculture (COA) reportedly intends to resume the practice...
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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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Dr. Tim Loula addressed the topic of the best approach to swine health in a down market. Among the more striking comments he made was one which talked about the need for a philosophical change. The example he used was along the lines of, if everything went perfectly, what results would we have? For example, in production agriculture, corn geneticists (in Iowa) have predicted that the potential yield at planting is 700 bushels per acre if everything goes perfectly. This philosophy, when...
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External parasites of swine are a serious problem for Florida producers. Arthropod parasites limit production by feeding on blood, skin, and hair. The wounds and skin irritation produced by these parasites result in discomfort and irritation to the animal. In Florida, the major pests on swine are lice, mange mites, ticks and stable flies, although horse flies, deer flies, mosquitoes and wound-infesting maggots may also cause severe problems. Hog...
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The Network of Excellence for Epizootic Disease Diagnosis and Control, EPIZONE, is a European Union (EU) funded research project that started in June 2006. The goal of EPIZONE is to improve research on epizootic diseases within Europe. Its aim is to reduce the economic and social impact of future outbreaks of epizootic infectious diseases in domestic livestock by collaborating research and increasing its excellence. ABGC participation in the EPIZONE network is centred on...
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The disease balantidiasis is an example of a zoonotic waterborne infection. The protozoan causing the infection, Balantidium coli , is common in swine worldwide in warm and temperate climates, but is rarely reported in Canada. Although there appears to be little risk of acquiring B. coli in Canada, producers should be aware of the disease and its effects on their animals and themselves. The prevalence of balantidiasis in Canada is not known precisely since it...
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Early postnatal morbidity and mortality are significant challenges to the swine industry. While piglets are exposed to many stressors soon after birth, gastrointestinal maladies are among the most severe. The neonatal intestine is instantly forced from being essentially inactive prior to birth to being the major "supply organ" responsible for providing nutrients to the piglet, which is born with very limited reserves. In addition to the required dramatic increase in function, the intestine...
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The Philippines has asked the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for help in stopping the spread of Ebola-Reston virus after an infection was found in some hog farms early this year, an official said last Wednesday.
The agriculture department has sent requests to the FAO to test an initial 10,000 swine in two quarantined hog farms in northern Luzon island, Davinio Catbagan, director of bureau of animal and industry, said in a statement.
"We would like to...
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Diet can have a major influence on animal health. This impact can be beneficial or harmful if it leads to a proliferation of pathogenic bacteria. Dietary fibre (DF) is a component of the diet that can have a major impact on gut health. DF is not readily digested by young pigs and forms the main substrate for bacterial fermentation in the intestinal tract. Various components in DF can either improve gut health or alternatively irritate the gut and cause diarrhea as a result. Thus, it is...
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Different indigestible carbohydrates are used as substrates by health-promoting bacteria such as Lactobacilli in the pig gastrointestinal tract. Some specialty hulless barleys contain high amounts of these indigestible carbohydrates. An experiment aimed at evaluating the possibility to use hulless barleys as a health-promoting factor in swine nutrition. Hulless barleys were better digested than hulled barleys and oats, used as references. Their presence in the gut also generated the production...
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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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The decision to treat a group of animals with water-soluble antibiotics is an everyday occurrence in pig production throughout the world. If there is a concern that a disease may be threatening the group, the veterinarian and producer need a way that all of the pigs can be treated easily. The obvious appeal of a water-based approach to treatment is that a single herds-person can treat a large group of animals at one time. The label instructions on most water-soluble antibiotic products...
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Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a small, circular, single-stranded DNA virus that affects pigs worldwide and is economically important to the swine industry. Within the past 3 years, North America has seen a marked increase and wide dissemination of PCV2-associated disease (PCVAD) that has resulted in devastating production losses. The rapid spread of PCVAD raised important questions about transmission of PCV2 amongst swine populations and regions. To date, transmission of PCV2 is not well...
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Recent media reports on the case of two piggery workers contracting the pig-borne disease Streptococcus suis ( S.suis ) pose little need for concern according to the pork peak industry body, Australian Pork Limited (APL). The case, reported in several media outlets over the past few days, details two piggery workers treated in the Canberra Hospital. The consulting physician, Dr Karina Kennedy, has published her findings in the Medical Journal of Australia ,...
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Summer = danger! High temperature often lead to digestive upset in pigs, and farmers often experience higher sudden death loss in fattening pigs, making preventive measures an economic necessity. Sudden death, or HBS (hemorrhagic bowel syndrome) Hemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) causes the sudden death of 4-6 months-old fattening pigs (70-120 Kg). Usually, there is no clinical or pathological previous history, and no premonitory signs that could alert the...
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Cysticercosis is an infection caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium . This parasite is found worldwide and is common in countries where raw or undercooked pork is eaten. Although incidences of infection are extremely rare in Canadian and American swine herds, over 1,000 human cases of cysticercosis are reported annually in the United States. Many of these human cases result after travel outside Canada and the United States. Life Cycle...
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Estimates of the economic impact of specific diseases on the U.S. swine industry are available for very few diseases. Recent research estimated the annual cost of PRRS in the U.S. to be approximately $560 million. 1 However, more comprehensive estimates of the impact of all major health challenges have not been published . A comprehensive estimate of all major swine health challenges is needed to facilitate industry benchmarking and to help guide animal health related...
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USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) renewed funding today for the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP). The agency will invest $4.8 million over the next four years to reduce animal suffering and decrease economic losses from PRRS, which affects 60 percent of U.S. swine herds and costs the swine industry $580 million annually. "A new strain of highly pathogenic PRRS has been found in China...
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An Epidemic of Emerging Diseases? Variability in disease patterns is an inherent feature of the "world of living things". From the biblical plagues to today's airport literature foretelling the next pandemic, we intuitively appreciate that the occurrence of diseases in plants and animals can fluctuate abruptly. Emerging diseases are defined as diseases that "have newly appeared in a population, or are rapidly increasing in incidence or geographic range" (Morse...
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