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Bulletin No. 17 - Winter 2003
Miscelleanous- No Category
DONE S
A world of new diseases.
Pig International, 2003, Volume 33, Nº8, 27-30
The emergence of new diseases affecting pigs has been going on without a respite for the last decade and will probably not soften. Several causes such as climate warming and nutritional factors (antioxidants, mycotoxins) are mentioned. Previously "present but silent" pathogens have turned to significant issues (PMWS), showing that the balance between host and pathogens has changed. Other pathogens, such as swine influenza virus, can rapidly recombine, evolve and change host, continent or country. In addition, swine seem to play a pivotal role of "mixing vessel" between wildlife, domestic poultry, wildfowl and also humans. The multifactorial aspect of these new diseases makes them even more difficult to control. The example of PCV2 and PMWS is particularly eloquent, even if all PMWS-affected pigs are PCV2-positive, concomitant infections with PPV or PRRSV have been shown to clearly have a negative impact on the disease's development. Problems also emerge from PRRSV strains. They have been identified as American or European strains, but such a geographical distribution does not seem to be strictly valid anymore and is further complicated by the circulation of vaccinal strains. The challenge of swine professionals is to keep pace with emerging diseases trying to identify the causative agents in order to better control them.
