Pathogens & Prevention: Keeping disease out

One way to achieve good performance without the usage of antibiotics is making sure that animals will not get sick in the first place. That, in short, is key to the latest special edition by Pig Progress, called ‘Pathogens & Prevention’. The digital version is now available.

‘Prevention’ is a wide concept and can both mean ‘prevention of disease’ but also, in a more narrow interpretation ‘prevention of pathogens getting into the farm’. The digital magazine gives ideas and hints to achieve both.

Choosing the right antibiotic approach in the sow herd

Introducing this very topical special edition is an excellent contribution by David Burch, who zooms in on ‘prevention of disease’. Taking the view that pathogens present on a farm are much easier fought in the sow herd than at a later stage in the finishing herd, he sums up 5 diseases which can be prevented by choosing the right antibiotic approach in the sow herd.

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Preventing 5 major pig diseases in the breeding herd

The magazine is built up around a great deal of articles zooming in on ‘biosecurity’, ‘lung health’ and ‘gut health’.

Biosecurity – keeping pathogens out

In the theme ‘biosecurity’, the focus is mainly on trying to keep pathogens out. A special app can help here, and there is also attention for a disinfectant showing positive results against a great deal of major pig pathogens.

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Smartphone app assiting pig farmers

The app serves as a calculation tool. On the basis of farm data it will give a perfect insight into the volume of detergent and disinfectant needed for a personalised hygiene protocol. The advice will be based on parameters linked to the size of the pen as well as management data like downtime and stocking density.

Lung health – combating respiratory disease

The theme of ‘lung health’ focuses on ways to combat several respiratory diseases, other than using antibiotics. How to avoid PRRS using vaccination, for instance, and what role can trace minerals play to reduce the impact of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae?

Gut health – creating a better intestinal balance

‘Gut health’, takes a look how to avoid Salmonella infections to occur in pigs, for instance by using benzoic acid in the feed or with a combination of different strategies. Also there is attention for the effect of the newest generation butyric acid on pig intestinal health.

The digital magazine is now available to flick through. On October 27, Pig Progress shall send out a special newsletter, highlighting each of these articles in more detail.