One–Night Downtime Period Prevents Spread of PRRS Virus and M hyo by Personnel and Fomites
Basic biosecurity measures prevented the spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M hyo) between pig herds by workers and fomites such as tools, according to researchers based in Minnesota,...

Time for a Biosecurity Tune Up
Implementing and reviewing some of the procedures discussed by Elizabeth Ferry, Extension Educator, Cassopolis, Cass CO, in the MSU Pork Quarterly will put you on the right track for producing high-health pigs and the proper utilisation of biosecurity...

Longitudinal Study of Faecal Salmonella Shedding by Sows
Scientists in Italy report that young sows are more likely to shed Salmonella than older animals, that the post-weaning period is the high-risk period for excretion of Salmonella and that good biosecurity can reduce the Salmonella risk in weaned sows...

Building Trust through Quality Assurance
Building success in the market, both domestically and internationally, is based on building trust in the quality and safety of products and now more importantly trust in the ethical correctness of production, writes ThePigSite editor in chief, Chris ...

African Swine Fever: an Increasing Threat for Europe
African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease, which has no vaccine and often leads to 100 per cent mortality. With Russia unable to control its rapidly spreading ASF outbreak, the threat of this devastating disease in Europe is growing.

Setting Health and Safety Standards for the World
International standards for food safety and animal health and welfare can be and often are contentious issues, writes ThePigSite Editor in Chief, Chris Harris.

Bleak Picture for Russian African Swine Fever Situation
Major concerns have been raised over the potential for African Swine Fever that was first discovered in Georgia and has now spread to Russia to spread to other countries in Europe, writes ThePigSite Editor in Chief, Chris Harris.

Farm Level Risk Factors Associated with Severity of PMWS
Environmental and management factors were found to be related to post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) severity and pathogens other than porcine circovirus (PCV) are possible co-factors, according to researchers at the UK's Royal Veterinary...

Is There Gold in Your Dust?
A farm case study from BPEX exploring the benefits of a cyclone dust collector attached to the feeding system. The main advantages are improved biosecurity and a reduction in feed wastage.

Rodent Control in Livestock and Poultry Facilities
This Factsheet by Brian Lang from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) explains rat and mouse behaviour as a means for better rodent control.

Kansas Swine Day 2010
Proceedings of the Kansas Swine Day 2010 conference, which focused on the nutrition and nursery pigs and finishers as well as feed management.

Farrowing Room Maintenance
Ed Barrie, sow and weaner pig specialist with OMAFRA, offers tips on maintenance and essential checks on the farrowing room in the latest 'Pork News and Views'.

Residue Testing in Ireland Revealed Very Few Positives
In 2009, just 0.3 per cent of samples from Irish animals and products were positive for residues, according to the the National Residue Control Plan for 2009. Carry-over was detected in three porcine samples relating to the dioxin incident in 2008; the...

Health Implications of Bovine TB in Pig Populations
The health implications of having bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in a pig herd are described in this Knowledge Transfer Bulletin from BPEX.

Biosecurity to Reduce the Risk of Bovine TB in Pig Populations
This Knowledge Transfer Bulletin from BPEX covers badger behaviour and provides examples of biosecurity that may reduce the risk of pig herds being infected by bovine tuberculosis (bTB) from badgers, as well as from other sources.

Regional Methods for Controlling PRRS
Extensive scientific study and on-farm research is starting to pay off in the battle against porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

Basic Farm Biosecurity
Producers are advised to follow good on-farm biosecurity measures to protect their livestock and crops from the constant threat of pests and diseases.

Good Practices for Biosecurity in the Pig Sector
Issues and options in developing and transition countries are covered in a new Animal Production and Health paper from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and World Bank. The right...

Key to Low Carbon Emission Pig Meat Production
A healthy diet and reduced consumption would reduce carbon emissions, writes ThePigSite senior editor, Chris Harris.

A Review of Biosecurity Methods
This article stresses on the importance of maintaining biosecurity on the farm. "A mixture of attitude, routine communication and a little common sense should be a part of biosecurity rules and procedures that can be easily maintained on a farm," writes...

Biosecurity in Swine Production: Widespread Concerns?
The importance of applying biosecurity measures in pig production were explained by Marie-Ève Lambert and Sylvie D’Allaire from the University of Montreal at the Banff Pork Seminar 2009. They say: "A knowledge of the biosecurity procedures used in...

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.

Efficacy of Selected Disinfectants against Porcine Pathogens
Seven chemical disinfectants were tested against 10 species of porcine bacterial pathogens that are common in UK pig units under a range of conditions. The pathogens showed widely different susceptibilities to the different disinfectants. None of the...