Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae causes severe pleuropneumonia in pigs, resulting in acute respiratory distress and often sudden death, with significant welfare implications in affected herds.
Porcine pleuropneumonia in its acute form is a severe welfare emergency. Affected pigs experience extreme respiratory distress — struggling to breathe through massively inflamed lungs — combined with high fever and systemic toxemia. Cyanosis (blue discoloration of extremities) in dying pigs indicates severe oxygen deprivation in the terminal stages. The speed of disease progression in peracute cases means pigs may die in obvious distress before treatment can be initiated. Survivors of acute episodes may develop chronic lung scarring that permanently reduces respiratory capacity, causing reduced exercise tolerance and ongoing subtle welfare compromise. The welfare case for prevention — through biosecurity, vaccination, and early treatment initiation — is compelling: acute APP causes extreme suffering that cannot be fully mitigated once clinical disease is established.