An Associate Professor with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine says a stepped up focus on biosecurity is the best defense against the introduction of swine dysentery onto hog operations.
The incidence of swine dysentery has been extremely low to non-existent since about the early 1990s but in 2002-2003 the disease re-emerged in the United States and the first case appeared in western Canada, after about a 15 year absence, in 2009.
Dr. John Harding, an associate professor with the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, explains the pathogen responsible for swine dysentery is transmitted by feces and can enter the farm through a number of vectors and he suggests, if your farm has become infected, it’s an indication there’s been a lapse in biosecurity.
Swine dysentery is an old disease that has affected the pig industry for 50 to 60 years.
It is a bacterial infection that causes bloody diarrhea in classically grower and finisher pigs.
It may cause diarrhea in adult sows and boars as well but it’s extremely rare.
Affected pigs will develop diarrhea shortly after infection and bloody diarrhea will also contain mucus, last for a number of days in the acute form.
Chronically affected pigs may also have diarrhea, not bloody in the chronic stages but will start to lose weight, become unthrifty pigs and mortality in most severe cases may occur in a small proportion of animals.
Dr. Harding says most affected farms don’t know how they became infected which suggests most farms in operation today are at risk and he advises any farm that’s not infected to critically review all stages of biosecurity.
