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Swine/Hogs

Pseudorabies (PRV)

Pseudorabies affects the respiratory, nervous and reproductive systems. Clinical signs include fatality in baby pigs, sneezing, coughing, anorexia, dullness, trembling, incoordination, spasms, convulsions and abortion in pregnant sows.

Exposure: Direct contact, new animals and fomites

Examples: Pig to pig contact, new herd additions, carried in on clothes, people, shoes and equipment.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions or animals returning to the farm from shows or other sites.

  • Clean and disinfect truck and trailer after hauling swine to market, show or other farm.

  • Clean and disinfect all equipment and tools.

  • Clean and disinfect all clothing, boots and hats before moving to each production area.

  • Wear plastic boots and coveralls.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Porcine Respiratory and Reproductive Syndrome (PRRS)

PRRS can cause reproductive failure with abortion, stillbirth, and birth of weak piglets or death. Clinical signs for older pigs may be respiratory problems, fever, pneumonia, failure to thrive and problems with secondary infections.

Exposure: Aerosol

Examples: Can be carried by incoming swine, in the air, pig-to-pig contact and semen.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep bird, rodent and pest populations to a minimum.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production unit to another or when returning from the market or another farm.

  • Buy semen from farms with an established biosecurity protocol.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Swine Influenza

Symptoms of swine influenza include sudden onset, rapid spread, depression, fever, lack of appetite, cough, difficult breathing and muscular weakness.

Exposure: Introduced by carriers, direct contact and airborne

Examples: New herd additions that were not quarantined, pig-to-pig contact and carried through the air.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep rodents, birds and pests to a minimum.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Transmissible Gastroenteritis (TGE)

TGE can be spread by aerosol or direct contact, but can have different clinical signs according to age. However, vomiting and profuse diarrhea are characteristic of all ages. TGE can cause 100 percent mortality in piglets less than one week of age, but pigs over one month old seldom die from this virus. Gestating sows will abort occasionally and lactating sows usually suffer from vomiting, diarrhea and agalactia.

Exposure: Introduced by carriers, spread by direct contact and aerosol

Examples: New herd additions, pig-to-pig contact and airborne carriers

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep rodents, birds and pests to a minimum.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Parvovirus

Important clinical signs of this virus are reproductive failure in sows, embryonic death and resorption and respiratory disease.

Exposure: Usually initial exposure is through purchased herd additions

Examples: Herd additions

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep rodents, birds and pests to a minimum.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Circovirus-Post-weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS)

Chronic wasting, pale skin color, enlarged lymph nodes, depression and decreased growth rate are signs that could be exhibited by pigs that range from six months to 16 months of age. The number of animals affected varies, but mortality is high in those that are affected.

Exposure: Pig-to-pig contact

Examples: Movement of pigs between herds and pig-to-pig contact within a herd.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep pigs in small age-related groups.

  • Keep groups together from birth to finishing weight.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Porcine Circovirus Associated Diseases (PCVAD)

Porcine circovirus associated diseases (PCVAD) is the relatively new term for a variety of swine diseases that includes porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2), postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), enteritis and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). These associated diseases are rapidly becoming a major threat to the health of swine in the United States and other countries.

For more information see the American Association of Swine Veterinarians Guide to Managing PCVAD*

Exposure: Pig-to-pig contact

Examples: Movement of pigs between herd and pig-to-pig contact within a herd.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep pigs in small age-related groups.

  • Keep groups together from birth to finishing weight.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Mycoplasmal Pneumonia

Chronic, clinically mild with persistent dry cough, sporadic flare-ups of respiratory distress and may be complicated with Pasteurella multocida and lead to bronchopneumonia.

Exposure: Usually exposed by dam to pigs

Examples: Dam will pass it to pigs and other pigs may become infected after weaning or mixing.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep pigs in small age-related groups.

  • Keep groups together from birth to finishing weight.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Actinobacillosis (Pleuropneumonia)

Primarily in young pigs causing severe and contagious (sudden onset, short course) respiratory distress. High morbidity and mortality.

Exposure: Transmission by aerosol and replacements

Examples: Herd additions, airborne carriers and pigs that are carriers for this bacterium.

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep pigs in small age-related groups.

  • Keep groups together from birth to finishing weight.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.

Streptococcosis

Streptococcosis is most often introduced at late suckling to early growing period by carrier swine with sow-to-pig transmission. Symptoms include meningitis, septicemia, arthritis, depression, tremors, incoordination, blindness, paralysis, convulsions and reddened skin.

Exposure: Introduced by healthy carrier swine

Examples: Sow-to-pig transmission (segregated early weaning does not stop this one)

Biosecurity Control Points:

  • Quarantine new herd additions.

  • Keep pigs in small groups.

  • Keep groups together from birth to finishing weight.

  • Clean and disinfect truck, trailer, clothing, boots, hats, equipment and tools before moving from one production site to the next or returning to the farm from a market or another farm.

  • Allow only authorized visitors with proper escort, clothing and footwear.