Farm Animals

Farmed Pig Respiratory Disease Management

Prevention and management of respiratory disease in pigs, a major welfare and production challenge.

Key Facts

Enzootic pneumonia, PRRS, and swine influenza are major respiratory diseases in pigs
Respiratory disease causes significant pain, weight loss, and mortality in affected pigs
Vaccination programmes effectively reduce incidence of several respiratory pathogens
Stocking density, ventilation, and all-in all-out management reduce disease spread
Scoring respiratory signs at slaughter provides population-level welfare assessment

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory disease causes acute and chronic suffering in pigs, and investment in prevention through management and vaccination is a welfare priority.

What You Can Do

Support farms using evidence-based respiratory disease prevention programmes
Advocate for ventilation standards in pig housing welfare regulations
Encourage veterinary health planning to reduce respiratory disease burden