Swine Dysentery season is in full swing!

Originally from: Mike
                        
Swine Dysentery (SD) is one of the commonest diseases affecting pig units and is always worst at this time of year.

The disease is mainly spread between herds by movement of an infected pig – the organism can live in a carrier pig for at least 90 days after recovery from clinical disease. Incubation period, after infection is 7–60 days but in high challenge situations this can be accelerated to 4–14 days. The causal bacterium, Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, can survive up to 9 weeks in pig dung during winter temperatures. In summer, the survival time falls dramatically to under 2 weeks.

The disease can be kept out of uninfected herds by good biosecurity practices including quarantine of incoming stock. In infected herds, SD can be controlled by improving hygiene and housing. Antimicrobial medication will also help to reduce the level of disease and spread of infection. Tiamulin and valnemulin are the most effective antibiotics. Eradication is best undertaken in summer months and should be carefully planned in advance.

Tips on SD control plus an excellent photograph of typical dysentery faeces and a graph of Maximum, minimum and mean survival times for the causal bacteria at various temperatures, are online at: www.octagon-services.co.uk/articles/dysentery.htm

Prevention is much easier than cure!
Good luck!

Mike
www.pighealth.com