Page 110 of articles about swine-diseases

There are a number of laboratory tests that can be used in the diagnosis of enzootic pneumonia (EP). The choice of test and the approach to the investigation depends on the clinical circumstances and the rationale for doing the testing.

Skin disease is one of the most difficult areas to assess clinically and on gross pathology.

Basic preventative measures of management should be included in the control of the disease, such as adequate temperature control of the barns, a complete all-in all-out hygiene and disinfection, and the avoidance of any mixing of animals from distinct sanitary origins.

Since 1987, Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus (PRRS) has become a global drain on pig productivity, profitability, and many a producers’ morale. One thing that remains certain is PRRS virus continually finds ways to circumvent our best bio-management efforts. PRRS marches on in a ceaseless continuum of antigenic change making current vaccines and other control techniques of limited value.

Our research model has been a short chain fructooligosaccharide (scFOS) fed to swine. This compound was selected because it was identified in human and swine milk, was shown to have health benefits in human infants and patients recovering from intestinal anastomosis. The health benefit was believed to occur via the trophic effect of scFOS on the Bifidobacteria population.

The decrease in the contact time between the mother and her piglets, due to the common practice of early weaning, has led to the appearance of some piglets that are not completely colonised or that have not acquired a sufficient level of maternal antibodies. On mixing with other litters, these piglets are faced with distinct strains while lacking the necessary antibodies against the disease.

In the diagnosis of nervous conditions it is difficult to establish initially, whether the problems lie in the bones, joints, muscles, or tendons or nerves. We should rule out anatomical or pathological problems in the former four systems before we assume we are dealing with nervous system problems.

It is important to be able to identify the distinct circulating strains and to differentiate between the strains that are merely colonisers and those that have the capacity to produce disease. With this aim various methods of classification of strains or “typing” of H. parasuis have been developed.