Farm Animals

Pig Welfare: Biosecurity and Disease Prevention

Biosecurity measures prevent disease introduction that would cause mass suffering, representing a critical welfare and production management priority.

Key Facts

African Swine Fever has devastated pig populations across Asia and Europe, causing enormous suffering
Biosecurity failures on a single farm can trigger regional outbreaks affecting millions of animals
Practical biosecurity measures include controlled access, vehicle decontamination, and all-in-all-out management
Wild boar are significant disease reservoirs, requiring pig-wild boar contact prevention in affected regions

Welfare Considerations

Disease prevention through biosecurity is a welfare imperative that prevents the acute suffering of mass disease events. Good biosecurity is achievable at all production scales and represents one of the most reliable welfare investments available to pig producers.

What You Can Do

Support the pork industry's biosecurity programmes and reporting systems
Advocate for mandatory biosecurity standards to be enforced at all pig keeping premises
Engage with international disease surveillance systems that provide early warning of emerging threats