Biosecurity is the best form of defense

Common infectious diseases of pigs such as enzootic pneumonia, pleuropneumonia, manage, and swine dysentery pose constant challenges to Australian pig producers. Millions of dollars are lost each year as a result of deaths and decreased growth and reproductive rates. Control measures such as vaccines, antibiotics, and other chemicals further add to these costs. Minimising the level of disease within the herd can dramatically reduce these costs, with a resulting increase in profitability.

A good biosecurity program limits the movement of infectious diseases of pigs from one property to another and from one unit within a property to another.

How do diseases of pigs spread?

Infectious agents can be spread by pig-to-pig contact, illegal importation, and disposal of contaminated meat products, semen, aerosol, and contamination of people, their clothing, and equipment. Veterinary equipment, transport vehicles, contaminated feed and water, biting insects, and wildlife vectors are all important methods by which infectious agents can be moved from property to property and pig to pig.

Swill feeding

Feeding food scraps (also known as swill or prohibited pig feed) to pigs is illegal in Australia as it is the most likely way that Australian livestock may be exposed to an exotic disease agent. Exotic diseases that can be spread by feeding swill to pigs include foot and mouth disease (FMD), classical swine fever, African swine fever, and swine vesicular disease. Legislation has been in place for many years in Australia to prohibit swill feeding (PDF, 191.64 KB).

Separation from other animals

Where appropriate, a secure pig-proof fence should be erected around the piggery to prevent access of feral pigs and other animals.

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Sheep, cattle, and goats grazing between piggery buildings normally pose little risk, provided that they do not move between properties, their manure does not come in contact with pigs, and they are not grazed around feed silos nor allowed to eat pellets that contain meat meal. However, in the case of an FMD outbreak in a piggery, they would pose a significant threat.

Pest and insect control programs should be in place. Appropriate hygiene and carcass disposal procedures are essential components of any pest and insect control program.

Controlled access

Visitors:

Only prescheduled visitors essential to the farm’s business should be permitted entry. Conduct a risk assessment before allowing visitors into the farm area of the property. It should take into consideration things such as recent travel overseas, contact with other pigs and livestock, and health, for example, influenza-like illnesses.

Staff:

All staff should be aware of the risks entailed in off-site contact with other pigs. Staff should not keep their own pigs unless this is cleared with management first. Rules for staff entry should be similar to the rules for visitors, except that staff need not be required to sign the visitor movement record.

Vehicles:

Wherever possible a load-out site at the farm perimeter should be used. Load-out areas present a risk if a pig transport vehicle arrives on-farm dirty or carrying pigs. This should not be allowed to occur unless the pigs on the truck have the same health status as your own pigs.

Equipment:

The farm’s biosecurity program must provide for mandatory cleaning and disinfection of any equipment (such as snares or ultrasound pregnancy detection equipment) that is moved by consultants from farm to farm. Disposal of piggery effluent, dead pigs, and other biological material should be by approved methods.

Records:

Records should be kept of the movements of animals, people, and vehicles onto and off the farm to assist in tracing in the event of an emergency disease outbreak. This information is vital to ensure that the disease is rapidly and effectively tracked and contained.

Disease identification and reporting

Staff should be trained to recognise signs of disease in the herd and to report any unusual signs or explained deaths promptly. Mortality and disease records should be kept. If something unusual or unexpected happens and infectious disease is suspected, veterinary advice should be sought as soon as possible.

Pig identification and movement documentation

All pig owners in NSW must apply for a property identification number (PIC) that identifies the property of birth or the place where pigs are kept. All properties that sell pigs must have a tattoo brand and/or ear tag that link to the PIC identifying the property at which a pig was kept before the application of the tag or tattoo.

Identification

Identification of pigs going for sale or slaughter is an essential part of monitoring for diseases and chemical residues. All pigs consigned for sale at a sale yard, slaughter at an abattoir or disposal at a knackery must be identified by either a tattoo brand or ear tag prior to leaving their property of origin.

National Vendor Declaration

All pigs dispatched from a property to another property, to a sale yard, or to an abattoir must be accompanied by a correctly completed national vendor declaration, such as PigPASS NVD, except for movement to another property, where the ownership remains unchanged and the property of dispatch can be identified for the life of the pig.