Note: This message is displayed if (1) your browser is not standards-compliant or (2) you have you disabled CSS. Read our Policies for more information.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
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: