Canadian vet reports new pig disease
Scientists at the Canadian Western College of Veterinary Medicine say they have found a new disease in weaners – and called it Post-weaning Wasting/ Catabolic Syndrome (PWCS).
At the Manitoba Swine Seminar©in Winnipeg, early February, Dr Yanyun Hyuang said there is still very little understanding of PWCS. He said the cause of the disease is unknown, and research shows it’s not linked to either Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) or Porcine Circovirus 2 (PCV2).
Hyuang explained that the disease seems to affect perfectly healthy animals in well-managed operations. Within two weeks of weaning, piglets who previously appeared completely healthy demonstrate lethargy, loss of appetite, anorexia and become thin and hairy. Within three to four weeks the animals had to be euthanised.
Mortality
The presence of the disease increases mortality of young pigs from 1-2% to 6-10%, as nearly all the animals with PCWS die. Those animals that survived kept bearing traces for the rest of their lives.
Hyuang says they know so little about the disease that he can’t even comment on how common it is as he fears he may underestimate its prevalence.
The disease has been found in barns in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Ontario and Kansas. It’s estimated that up to 20 barns in Manitoba are affected by PCWS.
Related website:
• Western College of Veterinary Medicine
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