Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Disease Surveillance Welfare

Disease surveillance systems detect emerging threats early, preventing large-scale welfare emergencies before they develop.

Key Facts

African Swine Fever is spreading globally and would devastate UK pig welfare if it arrived
Early detection through passive and active surveillance prevents disease establishment
Slaughterhouse surveillance detects diseases not showing clinical signs on farms
International disease alerts allow pre-emptive biosecurity strengthening
Farmer reporting of unusual mortality or illness is the first line of surveillance

Welfare Considerations

Rapid disease response enabled by surveillance systems prevents small welfare incidents from becoming large-scale disasters. The welfare harm of diseases like African Swine Fever - affecting millions of pigs - requires prevention through surveillance rather than response after establishment. Investment in surveillance infrastructure directly protects pig welfare at population scale.

What You Can Do

Support disease surveillance investment in pig production systems
Advocate for mandatory disease reporting requirements for pig farmers
Choose pork from farms participating in national disease surveillance programmes