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Bulletin No. 15 - Summer 2003
Parasitology- No Category
GEURDEN T, VERCRUYSSE, J.
Mange demands decisions.
Pig Progress, June 2003: 4-6
Mange infestation is acquired by direct contact with infested animals and rarely from the environment; therefore control or eradication efforts must take this into account. First, a decision must be made whether to control mange or eradicate it. Eradication is required in top breeding farms, and strongly advised in production farms, but in finishing facilities a continuous control program may suffice to limit economic loss. Continuous control should start with treatment of all animals on the farm. Sows and gilts should all be treated two or three times a year; if macrocyclic lactones (ML) are used, piglets may not need to be treated. Boars should be treated four to six times per year to eliminate them as potential reservoirs of infestation. A single treatment of piglets at the beginning of the fattening period will at least delay onset of clinical infestation and reduce the severity. Eradication of mange has been successfully applied in many countries, and is best accomplished with two courses of treatment with a ML product such as in-feed ivermectin. Any pigs that do not consume enough feed during this treatment should be treated with an injectable ML. Failure of eradication programs usually are due to inadequate biosecurity barriers between treated and non-treated animals. After eradication, it is necessary to quarantine and treat any new stock entering the breeding herd, and to maintain biosecurity and monitoring for signs of mange.
