PRDC is a multifactorial respiratory disease causing significant morbidity and mortality in growing pigs. Prevention through vaccination, biosecurity, and improved housing reduces substantial welfare burden.
PRDC causes acute respiratory distress and chronic debilitation across hundreds of millions of pigs globally each year. Affected pigs struggle to breathe, lose weight, and in severe outbreaks, die in significant numbers. The multifactorial nature of the disease means prevention requires addressing fundamental housing, management, and stocking issues rather than relying on vaccination alone. The welfare cost of endemic PRDC in intensive pig production is enormous and largely accepted as normal — which it should not be.