Disease prevention in pig production is simultaneously the most effective welfare and economic investment, addressing the root causes of suffering before they occur.
Disease prevention in pigs represents the highest-return welfare investment available. Preventing PRRS eliminates one of the most severe acute welfare crises in pig production. Vaccination against PCV2 prevents post-weaning multi-systemic wasting syndrome that causes chronic deterioration. Mycoplasma vaccination reduces endemic respiratory disease that causes sustained subclinical welfare impairment across herds. The economics of disease prevention strongly favour investment: prevented disease costs in treatment, mortality, and production loss far exceed prevention costs. Welfare-focused pig farming treats disease prevention as a welfare obligation, not merely an economic consideration.