Better Pork - October 2016

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28 October 2016
Pork News & Views
ing to group housing. The website www.
is a central database of
information including newsletters, factsheets,
resources, producer profiles and detailed
barn conversions. It`s goal is to facilitate the
successful adoption of group sow housing.
Jaydee Smith, Swine Specialist
Ontario Animal Health Network
(OAHN) Swine Producer & Industry
Report #4
ErysipelasUpdate-What producers need to
know…
An increase in cases of Erysipelas has
been noted by the OAHN swine network.
Quebec has seen a similar trend. We have
put together this fact sheet with important
information that producers need to know
about this disease.
Causative Agent: Gram positive, rod shaped
bacteria
Sources of Infection: The most important
source is from other pigs. Thirty- fifty percent
of healthy swine carry this organism within
the tonsil and in lymphoid tissues. Spread is
through nasal discharge, saliva, urine and in
feces. Rodents and wild birds can also spread
infection
Susceptibility: Usually affects pigs between
3 month and 3 years of age
Resistance: Remains viable for up to 6
months in tissues and feces
Clinical signs: Acute disease can cause
sudden death, high fevers (104-108 0 F 40-42
0 C) for up to 7 days, pigs appear sick and
chilled. Affected animals walk with a stiff gate
and are unwilling to eat. Infection can cause
abortion in sows. “Diamond shaped” skin
lesions that are dark purple in colour, raised
and firm in appearance (see photo above). In
dark-skinned pigs skin lesions can be easily
palpated. Sub-acute disease usually causes
less severe clinical signs than acute disease.
These animals do not appear as sick and
fevers are not as high. Appetite of these pigs
may be non-affected and skin lesions can be
easily overlooked. Chronic disease causes
pigs to have arthritis that leads to stiffness
and swelling of joints. This affects growth
rates and is responsible for significant losses
in prime cuts at packing plants. Clinical signs
tend to worsen when combined with other
infections as well as with overcrowding and
other environmental stressors
Treatment: Sensitive to penicillin and usually
tetracycline and killed by common disinfec-
tants. Resistant to neomycin, streptomycin
and sulfonamides. Marked improvement
within 24 hours of beginning treatment
Prevention: Herd health management and
implementing a vaccination program. Contact
your herd veterinarian to set up a vaccination
control program for your herd.
Note: Pigs that are exhibiting clinical signs of
Erysipelas are often condemned at slaughter.
Producers should not send these pigs to
slaughter.
*New Virus* PorcineSapelovirus (PSV) Iso-
lated in the USA
A new RNA virus called Porcine Sapelovirus
(PSV ) has been isolated from a pig presented
with neurological signs in the USA. No other
causes of infection were isolated in this case.
PSV infections usually cause no clinical signs,
but can cause neurological signs, diarrhea,
pneumonia and reproductive failures in sows.
This virus is usually spread through fecal-oral
transmission, but insects, birds and wildlife
vectors may also play a role in transmission.
Sapelovirus survives well in the environment.
Sodium chlorite or 70% ethanol will kill this
virus. More research needs to be completed
to investigate this virus in commercial swine.
For more information please visit the Swine
Health Information Centre website: www.
Go to emerging disease/
information/fact sheets.
Senecavirus A: Producer Fact Sheet
In July 2016, 12 new cases of swine vesicular
disease were noted at US slaughter plants.
Seventy-five percent of these cases were
confirmed to be Senecavirus A infections. It
is important that Ontario swine producers
stay vigilant with biosecurity. The OAHN
swine network has published a fact sheet for
producers on Senecavirus A:
wp-content/uploads/2016/08/2016-08-25-FI-
NAL-OAHN-Senecavirus-A-news-release.pdf
For the complete report and more informa-
tion about OAHN visit .