Respiratory Disease Monitoring in Pig Herds

Systematic respiratory disease monitoring in pig herds enables earlier intervention and reduces the burden of porcine respiratory disease complex.

Key Facts

Porcine Respiratory Disease Complex (PRDC) involves multiple pathogens interacting to cause disease
Key pathogens include PRRSV, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, PCV2, IAV-S, and secondary bacteria
Coughing scores assessed at pen-side provide a simple, low-cost monitoring tool
Slaughter lung scoring provides farm-level disease burden data without individual animal examination
Serology panels track exposure patterns and vaccine efficacy across production cohorts
Daily mortality and treatment records identify disease peaks before they become crises
Precision livestock farming tools including acoustic cough detectors are emerging for automated monitoring

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory disease in pigs causes genuine suffering - coughing, fever, labored breathing, and systemic illness affect millions of pigs in production systems globally. Early detection through systematic monitoring enables intervention at lower disease burden, reducing duration and severity of individual suffering. Herd-level monitoring that identifies rising cough scores or increasing treatment rates enables preventive action before disease becomes severe. Farms with systematic monitoring protocols consistently achieve lower respiratory disease burdens and better welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Implement daily cough scoring in growing pig pens as a routine monitoring practice
Use slaughter lung scoring feedback to assess respiratory disease burden on your farm
Conduct serology panels to characterize pathogen exposure and guide vaccination decisions
Keep detailed treatment and mortality records to identify temporal disease patterns
Discuss respiratory disease monitoring protocols with your vet at health planning visits