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Pig Journal Volume: 52
Publication date: November 2003

Proceedings Section

GENETIC APPROACHES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF HEALTH AND PRODUCTIVITY
G.S. Plastow

Abstract
The pig industry has made remarkable progress in productivity in the last forty years. Effective control of health and genetic improvement for production traits have been key elements of this change. However, up until now, genetic improvement of health has not been possible. This will soon change when the products of genomic research are applied. It will soon be possible to identify all of the genes in the pig. This will provide the opportunity to study the impact of variation at the gene level on many of the complex processes that impact healthy pig production. However, significant progress has already been made, with diagnostic tests available today for several traits. A first marker is now available for the selection of pigs resistant to a specific disease agent (E. coli F18). Progress has also been made in the identification of markers for leg quality as well as selection for more robust animals. New tools have also been developed to study the interface between pathogens and the pig during the infection process. Such tools offer the opportunity to develop new therapies as well as providing the means to select for genetic resistance.

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