Australia free of incurable pig disease: PMWS

AUSTRALIA - Australia has been declared free of an incurable pig disease feared to have found its way into a herd in South Australia.

Pork producers welcomed the outcome but have vowed to continue fighting against rising levels of pig meat imports they say threaten Australia's unique immunity from the disease.

Agriculture authorities began investigating two suspected cases of Post-weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS) in South Australia and NSW in July.

The NSW case proved to be negative, and the federal Agriculture Department said pigs at the South Australian property had now also been ruled free of the disease.

"The mortalities on the farm were caused by a range of endemic diseases, triggered by altered management practices," Australia's deputy chief veterinary officer Bob Biddle said.

"There was no evidence of wasting in growing pigs. After changing the management practices at the piggery and controlling the bacterial infections with antibiotics, mortality rates quickly dropped to very low levels."

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Source: TheAge

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