Variability of Water Flow Rates and the Impact on Therapy Using Tetracycline Powder
The results presented at the 28th Centralia Swine Update by Glen Almond and colleagues at North Carolina State University indicate that medicating pigs with tetracycline in the drinking water is problematical and ineffective.

Learning Pig Health and Welfare Virtually
Learning what can go wrong on a pig farm and how to cope with outbreaks of sickness is an essential part of production management, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Piglet Coccidiosis
Piglet coccidiosis is caused by a protozoan parasite called Isospora suis. Although Eimeria debliecki has been known to cause clinical disease in piglets, it seems that the only important pathogenic species known to cause clinical...

Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Despite the finding of MRSA in pigs and pork in Canada, the potential role on human health is unclear, according to Dr Scott Weese of the University of Guelph, speaking at the 28th Centralia Swine Research Update.

Sarcoptic Mange
The costs of control are far outweighed by the potential penalty to efficient growth, writes Dr Mark White in the latest NADIS Health Bulletin Pig Health.

Clostridial Diseases in Pigs and Public Health Concerns
C. difficile from pigs might be a serious public health concern and needs to be further investigated, according to R. Friendship, J. Gallant, K. Warriner and S. Weese of the University of Guelph. They presented a written paper at the 28th Centralia...

H1N1 - an Economic Impact on the Pig Industry
Apart from economic events and challenging feed prices, one of the most important events this year to hit the US pig meat industry has been the outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Mexico and then in the US, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Fine-Tuning Feed Additive Management
Marnie van Barneveld, Product Application Manager for Biomin Australia Pty Ltd, explains that farmers should focus on efficiency indifficult economicconditions, not just cost-cutting.

Strep. Suis – An Update
Pork producers need to be aware that a low but real risk may be present during manipulation of Streptococcus suis-diseased animals, Robert M. Friendship and Janet I. MacInnes of the University of Guelph warned delegates at the 28th Centralia...

Evaluating and Correcting Lameness in Sows
Dr Mark Whitney, Associate Extension Professor at the University of Minesota Extension Service offers practical tips to assess foot and claw health of sows and to correct some of the underlying causes by mineral supplements and improving the floor condition....

Tools to Help Producers Control PRRS
The US industry set itself a long-term goal to eradicate PRRS from its pig population in 2002 and thanks to continuing research over the past few years, swine producers now have more tools to prevent and manage the disease, writes ThePigSite senior editor...

A Business that Gets Bigger as the Work Gets Smaller
Researcher Vincent Legendre is working for the French pig institute IFIP to map the flow of pig meat from abattoir to retail customer, writes Peter Crosskey for ThePigSite.

Information on Influenza A (H1N1) Control
Hygiene and emergency disease outbreak information for influenza A (H1N1) from DuPont Disinfectants.

Better Gut Health Enhances Animal Performance
The health of the gastrointestinal tract is especially important for the young animal, writes Nataliya Roth, Technical Manager with Biomin Holding GmbH.

UK Pig Disease Quarterly Surveillance Report: January - March 2009
The latest report from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) highlights that swine dysentery continues to cause concern, while the incidence of pneumonia has declined. There have been no outbreaks of Notifiable Diseases or zoonoses associated with...

Teething in Baby Pigs
Researchers from the University of Guelph and Iowa State University have studied the eruption of the deciduous teeth of piglets up to 27 days of age, and how teething affects their feeding behaviour. A.L. Tucker and colleagues presented their paper at...

Swine Dysentery
Swine dysentery is one of the most economically damaging diseases a farm can experience in terms of medication, mortality, non-marketable pigs and extra feed costs. BPEX offers tips on the control of this costly disease in its Action for Productivity...

Use of Infrared Thermography for Early Detection of Disease
These findings are an important first step in the development of a cost-effective system for detecting diseases such as Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, according to R. Friendship, Z. Poljak, and K. McIntosh of Ontario Veterinary College. They...

National Swine Influenza Surveillance
John A. Korslund and Ellen Kasari, both DVMs at the USDA-APHIS-Veterinary Services, explain the current situation with swine influenza virus (SIV), as well as the operation and value of the surveillance programme in the US. The article was published in...

Field Experiences with Air Filtration: Results and Costs
Air filtration systems have been in place for over three years, in a wide variety of farms, and are valuable in reducing the risks of PRRS, according to Darwin L. Reicks, DVM, of the Swine Vet Center in St Peter, Minnesota. His article was in the January...

Piglet Birth Weight Affects Future Growth, Composition and Mortality
Evidence that pigs with low birth weights grow slower, are fatter and are more likely to die before weaning, write Justin Fix and Todd See in the February 2009 issue of North Carolina State's Swine News.

Alternatives to Antibiotics in Feed for Swine
A review of the potential and use of prebiotics, probiotics, bacteriophages and bacteriocins in feeds for pigs by Chad Stahl. Published in the April 2009 issue of North Carolina State's Swine News.

Animal Antibiotics, Resistance and Human Health
Antibiotics are a vital component to rearing healthy livestock, but many researchers argue that mismanaged use is having a detrimental effect on the industry, writes Adam Anson for ThePigSite.