Porcine Health Management最新文献

{"title":"CRISPR mediated PRRS resistant pigs: biological success, welfare implications, and ethical regulatory challenges for sustainable swine production.","authors":"Shahrukh Khan, Zeenat Korai, Shakal Khan Korai, Shengnan Li, Liting Yang, Safeer Ahmed, Seyidov Mirvasif, Anvarjon Kholmatov, Abdimumin Amirov, Shodi Xolov, Mohd Asif Shah, Xiaoshan Wang","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00518-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00518-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) remains one of the most significant health and welfare challenges in global pig production. The disease is associated with substantial economic losses, impaired herd health, increased antimicrobial use, and ongoing animal welfare concerns. Despite widespread implementation of vaccination, biosecurity, and herd stabilization strategies, PRRS continues to persist endemically in many production systems, highlighting the need for additional disease-control approaches. Recent advances in genome editing have enabled the development of host-directed resistance strategies in pigs. In particular, targeted editing of the scavenger receptor CD163, a key host factor required for PRRS virus entry into macrophages, using CRISPR-Cas9 has demonstrated resistance to several PRRSV strains in experimental models. Deletion of the SRCR5 domain of CD163 prevents viral infection while largely preserving normal receptor function, representing a more targeted approach compared with complete gene knockout. Current evidence suggests resistance to both major PRRSV genotypes, although most data derive from controlled experimental studies rather than commercial field conditions. Important considerations remain regarding long-term health and welfare outcomes, immune competence under production environments, ethical considerations surrounding germline genome editing, and differences in regulatory frameworks that may influence adoption. From a pig health management perspective, genome-edited PRRS resistance should be viewed as a complementary strategy rather than a replacement for established control measures such as vaccination, biosecurity, and herd health management. Careful evaluation, veterinary oversight, and coordinated regulatory guidance will be necessary to determine how this technology may be integrated responsibly into future PRRS control programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13263944/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148239984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A pilot study on the effect of feed supplementation with magnesium oxide and magnesium aspartate on blood magnesium content and tail lesions in pigs under practical on-farm conditions.","authors":"Caroline Jensen, Irena Czycholl, Pauline Nison, Therese Jacquerot, Peter Sandøe, Kathrin Büttner","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00526-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00526-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tail biting in production pigs is a complex behaviour often triggered by stress and nutritional deficiencies, posing significant welfare and economic challenges. Despite the EU ban on routine tail docking for welfare reasons, docking remains effective in preventing tail biting, which highlights the need for alternative strategies and yet better understanding of the complex mechanisms behind it. This study investigates the efficacy of magnesium supplementation, specifically magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium aspartate (MgAsp), in reducing tail biting incidents in pigs postweaning until life week 9 (rearing pigs) with intact tails. Conducted on a Danish farm raising pigs with undocked tails, the trial involved 381 pigs across two batches. Blood magnesium and cortisol concentrations, along with tail and ear lesions, were systematically monitored. Results indicate a decline in blood magnesium levels across all groups after three weeks (i.e. life week 7 of the pigs), coinciding with increased incidences of tail lesions, particularly significant in the group with MgO supplementation. However, discrepancies in magnesium concentrations at the initial time point in the group with MgAsp supplementation suggest potential variations in magnesium absorption or baseline levels unknown prior to supplementation. While MgAsp showed some efficacy in maintaining higher magnesium levels, neither form of magnesium consistently reduced lesion prevalence or stress markers, as indicated by cortisol levels. These findings suggest that while magnesium supplementation can influence magnesium status, its role in mitigating tail biting and associated stress may be limited in the age class of rearing pigs. Further research is necessary to explore magnesium metabolism in young pigs and its intricate relationship with stress, nutrition, and behaviour.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13488280/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148227370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Animal welfare and sustainability in pork production: a pilot study of farmer and veterinarian perspectives in North America.","authors":"Martyna E Lagoda, Kyle A T Moak, Kayla Arisman, Melanie Kaczur, Thaisa L Sandri, Niels Wuyts, Leanne Van De Weyer, Yolande M Seddon","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00521-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00521-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The swine industry is under increasing pressure to adopt meaningful animal welfare improvement strategies, yet implementation remains challenging due to competing operational demands and the economic costs associated with many welfare interventions in a pork market that is often volatile. Although good animal welfare is known to enhance productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability, clearer stakeholder understanding of these relationships is needed to support industry decision making for broader adoption of welfare strategies. This pilot study examined how pork industry stakeholders perceive animal welfare and its role in business decisions related to sustainable production by assessing: [1] how producers and swine veterinarians define animal welfare and the metrics they use to monitor it on-farm; [2] stakeholder understanding of how management procedures influence welfare, whether decisions are driven by welfare or productivity concerns, and whether barriers to implementation exist; and [3] stakeholder perceptions of the relationships between welfare and broader sustainability metrics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Concept elicitation interviews with open-ended questions were conducted to capture firsthand stakeholder experiences with on-farm welfare management. Ten participants were interviewed; four experienced swine managers and six veterinarians, including seven from Canada and three from the United States. Interviews elicited detailed descriptions of participants' definitions of animal welfare, the management practices they implemented and the motivations behind management decisions, welfare and productivity indicators used, perceived impacts of management practices on staff well-being, and views on the interconnections between welfare, production performance, and overall business sustainability. Producers generally did not provide a clear definition of animal welfare, but referenced welfare indicators they use to assess welfare; these being primarily visible, physical measures related to economically relevant performance metrics. Respondents acknowledged the value of good welfare for profitability and staff well-being, however, welfare considerations typically remained secondary to economic priorities, and practices involving upfront costs were rarely adopted unless mandated.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights that although animal welfare is widely recognized as important to sustainable pork production, its role is not yet fully understood or embedded within the workplace culture or business models of pork production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13435494/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148101916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viremia and antibody dynamics following atypical porcine pestivirus infection: a cohort study of pigs with congenital tremor.","authors":"Frida Håjen Aae, Mette Myrmel, Birgit Ranheim, Mamata Khatri, Anna Bergfeldt, Maria Stokstad","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00524-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00524-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Atypical porcine pestivirus (APPV) induces congenital tremor (CT) in piglets. Limited understanding of the relationship between viremia, antibody responses and clinical signs has impeded the development of effective preventive measures, as it is unclear which individuals are infectious and for how long. To characterize these aspects, a cohort field study with 43 piglets from herds experiencing CT and 21 external control piglets was conducted. CT-pigs and their healthy littermates were viremic at birth, with APPV RNA detected in serum by RT-qPCR, and viremia persisted in eight of the 15 pigs from CT-litters that remained in the study until four months of age, although levels declined over time. Pigs from unaffected litters in outbreak herds became viremic after litters were mixed. All pigs had APPV-specific anti-E2 antibodies, measured by an in-house ELISA, at three days of age. Levels declined by 59 days but were elevated again at four months of age in outbreak herd pigs. Lower viral loads were associated with higher antibody levels at this age, indicating an effective immune response. Although the duration of viremia was positively associated with the duration of tremors, 22% of pigs remained viremic after clinical signs had resolved. Furthermore, neither the amount of virus in serum nor antibody levels correlated with the degree of tremors. These findings reveal that piglets born with APPV-induced CT can remain viremic until four months of age and are able to produce APPV-specific antibodies. The absence or presence of tremors cannot be used to identify which pigs are viremic and thus at risk of transmitting the virus, highlighting a challenge for disease control.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13421751/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148055128","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative evaluation of post-mortem methods for detection of diarrhoea in early-life piglets.","authors":"Cecilie Brandt Becker, Malene Kjelin Morsing, Julie Raundahl Laursen, Emma Amalie Kortemand Hansen, Jens Peter Nielsen, Merete Fredholm, Nicole Bakkegård Goecke, Mette Sif Hansen, Søren Saxmose Nielsen, Henrik Elvang Jensen","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00523-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00523-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Identifying evidence of peri-mortem diarrhoea during necropsy is important for both clinical herd management and research. In live pigs, diarrhoea is typically assessed by inspection of faecal pools on the pen floor scoring of faecal rectal samples, including cotton-swabs, but these methods depend on the availability of faecal material and are therefore often not applicable at necropsy. This study aimed to evaluate intestinal content characteristics and perianal faecal staining as post-mortem indicators of peri-mortem diarrhoea. These indicators were compared with cotton-swab faecal scoring using faecal dry-matter content as a reference. Furthermore, associations with enteric pathogens detected by PCR were investigated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods and results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 145 pigs from a Danish commercial herd were monitored from birth until 10 weeks of age and euthanised in age-stratified batches for post-mortem examinations. Intestinal content from duodenum, jejunum, ileum, caecum, and colon was evaluated for consistency and colour using categorical scales and compared with perianal faecal staining, faecal scores obtained by the cotton-swab method, faecal dry-matter percentage, and pathogen detections in faecal samples by high-throughput real-time PCR. Colonic content consistency and perianal faecal staining were strongly associated, and in all pigs with watery colonic content a perianal faecal staining was observed. Colonic content consistency corresponded well with faecal dry-matter percentage categories, with mucoid, runny and watery consistencies indicating diarrheic cases (sensitivity: 87%, specificity: 55%). Jejunal content consistency showed little to no association with cotton-swab faecal scores, indicating limited value as an indicator of peri-mortem diarrhoea. Pre-weaning piglets predominantly showed lighter (yellow-green), firmer intestinal contents, whereas post-weaning animals displayed darker and looser contents, particularly in the large intestine. Interobserver reliability was high for consistency scoring (Krippendorff's α &gt; 0.80 across most segments) but low for colour scoring (α &lt; 0.64). Dark colonic content was associated with PCR detection of Lawsonia intracellularis and Brachyspira pilosicoli, while yellow coloration showed an indirect association with detection of Clostridium perfringens α and β2 toxin genes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Post-mortem assessment of colonic content consistency represent a promising, practical and reproducible indicator of peri-mortem diarrhoea, but tending to identify a higher prevalence of diarrheic cases compared to diarrhoea defined by dry-matter percentage. Colonic content consistency also showed a strong association with perianal faecal staining. In contrast, jejunal content consistency showed no diagnostic value as an indicator of peri-mortem diarrhoea. Visual assessment of intestinal content colour demonstrated poor interobserver reproducibility","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13421096/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148034220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of intranasal non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on pain responses in castrated and tail-docked piglets.","authors":"Cecília Archangelo Ferreira de Melo, Laya Kannan Silva Alves, Monique Danielle Pairis-Garcia, Juliana Bonin Ferreira, Taylor Brooke Parker, Victoria Rocha Merenda, Kristen Michele Messenger, Pedro Henrique Esteves Trindade","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00517-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00517-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Routine piglet processing procedures, such as surgical castration and tail docking, are known to induce pain and stress, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly administered to mitigate these responses. This study evaluated the effects of processing and NSAID administration on physiological and behavioral indicators of pain and stress in male piglets. A total of 120 piglets (5 days old) were randomly assigned to one of eight treatment groups in a 2 × 4 factorial design, including sham or processed piglets receiving intranasal flunixin meglumine, ketoprofen, meloxicam, or saline solution. Piglets underwent surgical castration and tail docking or sham handling one hour after treatment administration. Plasma cortisol concentrations were assessed at baseline, 1 h, 3 h, and 24 h post-procedure, and pain-related behaviors were evaluated using the UNESP-Botucatu Pig Composite Acute Pain Scale (UPAPS). Processed piglets, both with and without NSAID administration, exhibited higher plasma cortisol concentrations than sham piglets at 1 h post-procedure, indicating an acute stress response, with concentrations returning to baseline by 3 h and 24 h. No treatment effects of NSAIDs were observed for cortisol concentrations. Behavioral assessment revealed higher UPAPS scores in processed piglets at 1 h, 3 h, and 24 h compared with sham piglets, indicating persistent pain-related responses. NSAID treatments did not consistently mitigate behavioral pain expression, although ketoprofen-treated piglets exhibited a transient reduction in UPAPS scores at 3 h post-procedure. Overall, piglet processing elicited acute physiological stress responses and sustained behavioral indicators of pain. These findings support the need for integrated analgesic strategies to more effectively mitigate post-procedural pain and improve piglet welfare.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13422310/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147982738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Patterns and risk factors of pig transport mortality: implications for official controls in a high-throughput slaughterhouse.","authors":"Alfonso Rosamilia, Claudia Weiss, Francesca Iacoponi, Chiara Casadio, Chiara Guarnieri, Stefano Benedetti, Giuseppe Marruchella, Giuseppe Merialdi","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00519-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00519-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Transport to slaughterhouses is a critical phase in pig production, affecting welfare and economics. Mortality during transport, or dead-on-arrival (DOA), is a direct indicator of welfare compromise. This study evaluated the association between estimated transport distance, ambient temperature, and consignment size with mortality in commercial pig journeys lasting ≤ 8 h.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 34,239 consignments from 434 farms transported to a high-throughput slaughterhouse were analyzed. Consignment size ranged from 5 to 164 pigs, estimated transport distances from 5 to 605 km, and ambient loading temperatures ranged from 0.9 °C to 31.2 °C. Overall average mortality rate was 0.062%, with 93.1% of consignments showing no DOA pigs. Seasonal patterns were pronounced, with summer exhibiting the highest mortality and winter/spring the lowest. Mixed-effects logistic regression showed that ambient temperature and estimated transport distance were positively associated with mortality (OR = 1.354 and 1.086, respectively), while larger consignments exhibited a negative association (OR = 0.910). Each 1 °C increase in temperature corresponded to a 3.86% rise in the odds of pigs being DOA. Random farm effects showed substantial between-farm variability. Average transport mortality per farm categorized 36.9% of farms as being at very low risk, 13.1% as low, 24.9% as medium, and 25.1% as high risk. Best Linear Unbiased Predictors (BLUP) estimates identified 38 farms with significantly higher-than-average mortality, while funnel plot analysis highlighted 26 outliers, providing complementary approaches to benchmark farm performance and prioritize high-risk holdings for welfare monitoring. Among 664 (1.95%) consignments inspected by official veterinarians, mortality was 0.036%, and inspections were evenly distributed across seasons, ambient temperatures, and consignment characteristics. Only 86 (12.95%) of inspections targeted the 26 high-risk farms identified by the funnel plot. These results suggest that inspection efforts were not preferentially directed toward farms with elevated predicted mortality.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pig mortality during journeys lasting ≤ 8 h transports is mainly associated with ambient temperature and, to a lesser extent, estimated transport distance, with summer as a high-risk period. Larger consignments modestly reduce risk, and mortality per farm highlight the potential for targeted interventions. Current veterinary inspections are not systematically aligned with risk, suggesting scope to optimize monitoring and welfare outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13321726/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147841894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus: a model for coronavirus persistence and immune escape in intensive livestock systems.","authors":"Leila Wogick, Sagar M Goyal","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00520-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00520-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is an enteric alphacoronavirus that has shifted from a sporadic regional pathogen to a worldwide, persistent virus, despite years of vaccination, biosecurity measures, and monitoring. Since the early 1970s, PEDV has shown strong genetic flexibility, the ability to evade immunity, survive in the environment, and spread quickly through connected livestock networks. Major outbreaks in Asia, Europe, and North America, especially the 2013-2014 outbreak in the United States, have revealed key weaknesses in traditional control methods for enteric coronaviruses, especially those that depend on systemic immunization. In this review, we bring together over fifty years of PEDV research to look at how viral evolution, mucosal immune responses, and livestock production systems work together to keep the virus circulating. We point out that changes in the spike gene, including recombination and deletions, along with changes in other viral genes, affect disease severity, immune system recognition of the virus, and the inability of vaccines to provide protection. We also stress the key role of lactogenic immunity and the gut-mammary-secretory IgA system in protecting newborn animals, which helps explain why vaccine inoculations have not been effective in stopping the spread of enteric coronaviruses. By combining evidence from molecular, immune, epidemiological, and systems research, we suggest that PEDV is a strong example for studying how coronaviruses persist under immune pressure in managed animal groups. Using a One Health approach, this review encourages moving away from only reacting to outbreaks and instead focusing on ongoing, genome-based management of coronaviruses in livestock operations.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13322020/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147841875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of phage therapy in post-weaning piglets challenged with ETEC strain in a controlled minitrial.","authors":"Md Rayhan Mahmud, Md Karim Uddin, Peppi Kareljärvi, Matti Jalasvuori, Juuli Peräkylä, Tiia Eklund, Mia Biström, Shah Hasan, Tommi Vatanen, Saija Kiljunen, Claudio Oliviero","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00516-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00516-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a pathogen responsible for post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) in piglets, which results in economic losses in pig production. The rise of antibiotic-resistant ETEC strains together with restrictions on addition of zinc oxide in pig feed require alternative management approaches. Our research examines bacteriophage therapy as a solution to control ETEC infections in newly weaned piglets. A cocktail of phages targeting a strain of ETEC F4LT1ST2 was identified and subsequently multiplicated in laboratory. We conducted a trial including nine piglets divided into three groups. The negative control group was exposed to the phage cocktail by administration with the bedding material (saw dust) on the floor of their pen. The treatment group was exposed to the ETEC strain and to the phage cocktail, and the positive control group was exposed to the ETEC strain only. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on fecal samples to characterize bacterial and phage dynamics. Throughout a 10-day period we monitored daily the rectal temperature and the diarrheal score of piglets. Subsequently we evaluated phage and bacterial counts in fecal samples to determine phage therapy effect on gut microbiota dynamics and piglet health. The PHAGE+ETEC group showed 19.2% lower cumulative diarrhea burden (p = 0.044) and 61.9% higher average daily gain (p = 0.065). Rectal temperature correlated significantly with diarrhea severity (per-piglet Spearman's ρ = 0.727, p = 0.027). Alpha diversity did not differ between treatment groups across timepoints, suggesting that phage administration did not cause major shifts in microbial diversity. Metagenomic analyses showed significant reduction of E. coli abundance in PHAGE+ETEC group compared to PHAGE groups (p = 0.009). Consistent with these observations, plaque assay results confirmed active phage-bacteria interactions: no plaque formation was detected in the feces of the ETEC-only group, whereas the PHAGE+ETEC group showed phage replication, reaching 10⁶ PFU/ml. This pilot study highlights the potential of phage therapy as an alternative to antibiotics for ETEC infections in piglets. Additional research with larger pig population and longer duration is required to confirm these findings and develop optimal phage application methods for swine production.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13277272/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147779231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Antimicrobial resistance in breeding pigs in Germany - differences between 2015 and 2023.","authors":"Bernd-Alois Tenhagen, Tobias Lienen, Istvan Szabo, Carolina Plaza-Rodriguez, Mirjam Grobbel","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00508-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00508-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Direct contact with their offspring during the first few weeks makes sows a potential source of resistant bacteria for fattening pigs and food products derived from pigs. Moreover, staff working with breeding pigs are exposed to their bacterial flora which also includes zoonotic pathogens and antimicrobial resistant bacteria. In this study we investigated the antimicrobial resistance of E. coli and the prevalence and the antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella enterica, cephalosporin-resistant Escherichia coli (CTXR-E. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in breeding pigs in Germany in 2015 and 2023 to identify potential changes in the prevalence and resistance over time during a period of reduction of antimicrobial use in farm animals in Germany. RESULTS: Resistance in E. coli to tetracycline and sulfamethoxazole and the prevalence of CTXR-E. coli decreased in breeding herds between 2015 and 2023 in Germany. The proportion of E. coli that were susceptible to all tested substances increased. In contrast, there were no changes in the herd prevalence of Salmonella and MRSA. Resistance of E. coli to some antimicrobials was associated with the presence of MRSA in the herd and to herd size. Larger herds were more prone to harbour MRSA and CTXR-E. coli. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate a minor decrease in AMR in E. coli from breeding pigs in Germany but no decrease in the prevalence of Salmonella or MRSA. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13123041/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147779194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}