Prevention, diagnosis and management of swine dysentery for the general farm animal vet

Abstract

Background: Swine dysentery is caused by the highly infectious pathogen Brachyspira hyodysenteriae, which results in diarrhoea, poor weight gain or weight loss. It is damaging to pig health, welfare and productivity and is a driver for antimicrobial use. There has been an upward trend in the number of diagnoses of swine dysentery made through the Great Britain scanning surveillance network since the end of 2021 and the disease has recently been diagnosed on both small- and large-scale pig holdings. It is crucial, therefore, that pig keepers understand and practise good biosecurity to prevent swine dysentery and other diseases from entering their herd; are alert and react promptly to clinical signs suspicious of the disease; and that measures to prevent spread to other holdings are in place where swine dysentery has been diagnosed. Vets attending pigs are key to achieving these aims. They also need to be able to recognise the disease, know how to diagnose it and support their clients to manage it.

Aim of the article: In this article, we discuss how vets working with pig keepers can promote the implementation of preventive practices for swine dysentery and encourage awareness of its clinical signs. We also discuss how vets can diagnose the condition and the merits of different disease control strategies for pig holdings on which swine dysentery has been diagnosed and focus on how we, as vets, can encourage antibiotic stewardship on smallholdings.