Porcine circovirus associated diseases cause significant mortality and welfare compromise in pig production. Vaccination and management improvements have transformed outcomes in affected herds.
Porcine circovirus-associated diseases cause severe welfare compromise through the progressive wasting and multi-organ failure that characterise the worst presentations. Affected pigs experience weight loss, respiratory distress, and ultimately fatal debilitation over weeks to months. The welfare success story of PCV2 vaccination demonstrates the transformative power of targeted disease prevention in farm animal welfare, as widespread vaccination has dramatically reduced disease prevalence and the associated suffering. Preventing disease through vaccination alongside good management practices including appropriate stocking density, good ventilation, and co-infection control remains the most welfare-effective approach. Prompt identification and humane euthanasia of severely affected animals for whom treatment is not viable reduces the duration of severe suffering.