Mixed infections pose threat to swine industry

The research, conducted by Novartis Animal Health, shows that nearly two-thirds (63%) of the 102 specialists surveyed believe that mixed respiratory and enteric infections cause serious or very serious problems for infected herds, and 53% believe that mixed infections pose a problem for the entire swine industry.

Additionally, 68% of swine specialists regularly saw these mixed respiratory and enteric infections, and that this problem is growing in scale.

"It is imperative that all veterinarians are aware of the risk of mixed infections in herds, and diagnose and treat as early as possible with appropriate medications that can treat enteric as well as respiratory organisms. These infections can significantly reduce feed conversion as well as average daily gain and, if not addressed correctly, can compromise treatment efficacy and not only prove costly to the producer, but also potentially cost the industry millions," according to Dr Tim Loula, Swine Vet Center, Minnesota.

Dr Jill Thomson, Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) Veterinary Services, Edinburgh, UK, noted "While vets are aware of the impact of mixed infections in swine health, there is a need to increase awareness of the scale of the problem to ensure affected swine are treated swiftly and effectively with products that address both enteric and respiratory infections in herds with complex disease problems.

"It is vital to stem this increasing problem and return infected pigs to full health, minimising the financial impact on the individual producer and the industry as a whole."

Related website:

• Novartis Animal Health

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