Farm Animal Welfare

Pig Respiratory Disease Prevention

Respiratory disease is a major cause of suffering and production loss in pig farming, with prevention through biosecurity, vaccination, and air quality management being key welfare interventions.

Key Facts

Respiratory disease causes an estimated 40% of antibiotic use in pig production
PRRS, enzootic pneumonia, and swine influenza are the most economically significant pathogens
Air quality including ammonia levels above 10ppm significantly increases respiratory disease risk
All-in all-out management dramatically reduces pathogen carryover between batches
Vaccination programmes can reduce PRRS losses by 30-50% in endemically infected herds

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory disease causes painful breathing, fever, and reduced ability to feed and socialise. Prevention through improved air quality, effective biosecurity, and targeted vaccination programmes dramatically reduces the prevalence of respiratory suffering in pigs.

What You Can Do

Advocate for mandatory ammonia monitoring in pig buildings with public reporting
Support research into PRRS vaccines and alternative biosecurity strategies
Choose pork from producers with certified low antibiotic use and disease monitoring