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Whether the issue is an emerging disease such as porcine epidemic diarrhea or the threat of African swine fever, being prepared is key to minimizing the potential impact on the US swine herd and expediting the recovery.

Veterinarians deal with stress under the best circumstances. But in this time of difficult decisions for pork producers and those who service them due to COVID-19, maintaining mental health is even more of a concern.

For both the sow and piglet, an animal that does not perform to its potential or falls behind its counterparts will negatively impact the sow farm’s productivity and profitability.

TOOLBOX, Issue 20: An interview with Eva Jablonski, DVM, PRRS Specialist, Senior Technical Services Veterinarian, Zoetis

Clinical problems in swine due to antimicrobial-resistant infections are rare. In fact, patterns of resistance in swine have been stable for a long time.

Many sow farms have undergone M. hyo elimination within their breeding herd, which makes it critical to understand the potential transmission risk from boar studs.

Few things remain the same for long on a hog farm. By the very nature of today’s production system, pigs are continuously moving on or off a site. One thing that remains constant is Strep suis.

DISCOVERIES, Issue 19: PRRS has been described as one of the most important swine diseases of the last half-century. An estimated 20% to 25% of herds are still affected, and the syndrome remains the US swine industry’s most costly disease.

Effective PCV2 control relies on vaccination of healthy pigs before they become infected. This goal cannot be accomplished in unstable herds whose sows give birth to viremic pigs.

Porcine circovirus type 2 is the principal etiological agent of porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD), which can cost producers an estimated $3 to $4 per pig.

Preventing fomites from carrying pathogens into hog farms is a daily biosecurity priority, but how effective are typical disinfection protocols?

Streptococcus suis (Strep suis) is becoming more prevalent and more complex in US swine herds. The coccoid-shaped, Gram-positive bacterium is also a zoonotic disease, capable of transmission from pigs to humans.

When it comes to porcine reproductive and respiratory virus it’s important for the veterinarian and farm personnel to know the health status of a herd or barn.

Scientists in Germany have confirmed that pigs and chickens are not susceptible to COVID-19.

Experts say some forms of sustained stress can weaken a pig’s immune system and make it more vulnerable to disease and performance losses.

PCV3 was first reported in 2016, but appears to have been present in swine populations decades prior to that time. PCV3 strains are similar to one another but are very different from PCV2.

Renewed interest in M. hyo and its impact on herd health and performance has prompted producers and veterinarians to re-evaluate control strategies for the costly bacterial disease.

Just when US pork producers thought swine dysentery was a problem of the past, it has re-emerged for an unwelcome encore in a slightly different form.

An effective biosecurity strategy is not a stagnant process. It is continuously influenced by changes in pig-flows, disease pressures, virus evolution, emerging health issues and more.

Pre-wean mortality has increased over the last 15 years, and it’s a major concern for US pork producers and veterinarians.

PRRSV is constantly evolving, resulting in an extremely diverse virus with multiple lineages, but building a better understanding of that genetic diversity is the next step to making real progress against the disease.

Classical education emphasizes the need for industries to adopt new technologies to keep up with external demands and constantly changing economic environments.

The US pork industry is challenging under the best of circumstances, with enough variables to make even astute, savvy businesspeople cautious. However, one of the biggest components of a successful, healthy operation is human capital.

Porcine circovirus type 3 (PCV3) is “absolutely” a pathogen but merely finding the virus isn’t enough to conclude it’s the cause of disease.

The first lesson of biosecurity, according to Andrea Pitkin, DVM, health assurance veterinarian for PIC, is to learn, modify and adapt because new threats can surface at any time.

One in three pigs born on US farms fail to reach market, according to Jason Ross, PhD, a professor of animal physiology at Iowa State University and director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center.

By Daniel A. Nelson, PhD,
Senior nutritionist, pork technical services,
Zoetis

As African swine fever virus continues to march across the globe, the US pork sector is laser focused on keeping it from reaching the homeland.

Tail biting in pigs remains something of a mystery. What triggers a pig or pigs to bite tails? Why do some express this vice and others do not?

As piglets move from the sow farm to the growing stage, it’s important to know their porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) status.

Swine veterinarians putting in long days on the road caring for pigs should be just as cognizant of their own health and nutritional needs.

Encouraging staff to have more direct involvement with managing and handling sows can have positive impacts on herd welfare and mortality rates, say scientists.

Helping piglets make a smooth transition at weaning is always a priority, but bacterial pathogens such as Streptococcus suis and Haemophilus parasuis can make that goal particularly challenging.

Tail biting and lameness directly impact the well-being of growing pigs, which in turn impacts their productivity and the farm’s economics.

Pain management for pigs has always been a challenge, partly because it’s difficult to measure levels of pain and partly because there are no FDA-approved drugs labeled for pain management in pigs.

The pork industry leans heavily on diagnostics to minimize the impact of disease, but they’re especially critical for monitoring African swine fever (ASF) and other trade-limiting foreign animal diseases (FADs).

An alternative technique to physical castration could offer US hog producers a host of financial and management benefits.

Feed and feed ingredients are generating a lot of interest as possible vectors in transmitting swine diseases.

Between tight margins and constant herd-health challenges, pork producers are always looking for new ways to increase efficiencies and profits while also increasing transparency.

The so-called Internet of Things — that emerging world in which everyday tools like thermostats and doorbells suddenly become indispensable smart devices — is not lost on the pork industry.

The AVMA has published its first ever Guidelines for the Depopulation of Animals to help veterinarians support animal welfare in situations where the difficult decision to depopulate has been made.

The US pork industry has demonstrated high standards for animal welfare, but there is still much to learn about mitigating pain — not only during processing, but also pain resulting from Strep suis infection.

By Derald Holtkamp, MS, DVM
Associate Professor
Iowa State University