Porcine Health Management最新文献

{"title":"Insights into pig resilience: the Microbiome-genetic connection.","authors":"Enrico Mancin, Cristina Casto-Rebollo, Christian Maltecca, Noelia Ibañez-Escriche, Roberto Mantovani, Cristina Sartori, Francesco Tiezzi","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00506-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00506-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal resilience and the gut microbiota have emerged as two major focus areas in animal science, particularly in swine production. The gut microbiota, as a dynamic and responsive ecosystem, offers unique potential to describe and interpret complex host phenotypes, reflecting genetic and environmental influences and their interplay. In parallel, enhancing animal resilience represents a key opportunity for swine production systems facing increasing pressures from climate change, sustainability requirements, and efficiency constraints, compounded by narrow profit margins and reduced labor availability per pig. Together, these factors necessitate pigs that can robustly cope with environmental and management challenges with minimal human intervention. These pressures threaten not only economic sustainability but also raise serious animal welfare concerns. However, improving resilience remains challenging because it (i) lacks a directly measurable trait and (ii) is difficult to enhance through environmental management, due to its inherent definition, and also through genetic selection, owing to its low to moderate heritability. In this context, the microbiota may capture a component of resilience-related variability that is not explained by host genetics or environmental factors alone. Accordingly, microbiota data, with their dual capacity to integrate host genetic background and environmental exposures, emerge as a valuable tool not only for monitoring resilience but also as a potential target for its improvement. In this review, we first define resilience in swine, outlining how it can be monitored and measured. We then discuss the importance of the microbiota, especially gut microbiota, in swine production. Finally, we explore the biological connections between resilience and the host microbiota, highlighting opportunities to leverage this relationship to address current and future challenges in swine systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13159377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147582067","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":"Telemedical management of severe postpartum hemorrhagic vaginal discharge in a sow - a case report.","authors":"Alexander Grahofer, Philipp T Egli","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00501-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00501-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Postpartum hemorrhage is a well-recognized and potentially life-threatening complication in both animals and humans. This case report describes a primary postpartum hemorrhage in a second parity sow managed in a free-farrowing system with the support of telemedicine. CASE PRESENTATION: A 16 months old Large White sow showed severe hemorrhagic vaginal discharge after the farrowing process. A thorough case history and visual examination of the animal were conducted using telemedical technique prior to treatment. Farrowing began at 14:00 on a Saturday without hormonal induction, and the sow delivered eight live-born piglets by 16:30 without intervention. Overnight, no observations were made. At 04:30 the following morning, the sow was found with nine live-born piglets and one stillborn. During morning feeding, the farmer observed a large amount of blood on the pen walls and severe hemorrhagic vaginal discharge and contacted the veterinarian, initiating a telemedical consultation. Examination revealed a normal appetite, a body temperature of 38.4 °C, firm faeces without visible blood, and no external injuries to the tail, vulva, or vagina. No signs of ongoing labour were observed. Manual palpation of the birth canal was avoided due to the severity of bleeding. Transabdominal ultrasonography revealed no presence of retained piglets. Telemedical evaluation indicated pallor, and the final diagnosis of uterine bleeding was made. Intramuscular administration of 30 IU oxytocin was recommended to stimulate uterine contractions and control the hemorrhage. During the follow up consultation one hour later, the farmer reported that the bloody vaginal discharge stopped within 15 min after oxytocin administration. CONCLUSION: This case documents primary postpartum hemorrhage in a free-farrowing sow, a condition not previously reported in the literature. It also illustrates the value of telemedicine in porcine health management, enabling timely assessment and intervention in life-threatening situations. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13023149/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147499564","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":"Randomized controlled single-farm field evaluation of an autogenous Mycoplasma hyosynoviae bacterin: lameness treatments and exploratory serology.","authors":"Marit Gaastra Maaland, Marianne Oropeza-Moe","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00503-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00503-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma hyosynoviae arthritis contributes to antimicrobial use and reduced welfare in fattening pig production. No commercial vaccines are available, and the efficacy of autogenous vaccines remains poorly documented. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an autogenous M. hyosynoviae vaccine on lameness occurrence, describe M. hyosynoviae antibody profiles over time, and assess such profiles in relation to lameness development. CASE PRESENTATION: Methods. A randomized, blinded, controlled field trial was conducted in a Norwegian fattening pig herd and its associated piglet-producing herd. Piglets received two intramuscular injections of either vaccine or saline at six and nine weeks of age. Lameness occurrence was monitored throughout the fattening period, and serum samples from a subset of pigs (n=118) were collected at 6, 8, 13, and 19–21 weeks of age for detection of M. hyosynoviae-specific IgG antibodies by T20 IgG ELISA. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: A total of 737 pigs (383 vaccinated, 354 controls) were evaluated for lameness. The incidence of lameness treatments was 7.8% (95% CI: 5.1–10.5) in the vaccine group and 6.8% (95% CI: 4.2–9.4) in controls, with no significant difference between groups (OR=1.28, 95% CI: 0.76–2.17, p=0.354). Most lameness cases occurred during the first three weeks after arrival at the fattening farm. Vaccination was not associated with increased odds of serum IgG seropositivity by the T20 ELISA in an exploratory subset (OR=0.97, CI: 0.36–2.58, p=0.947). Antibody levels varied with sampling time; the highest levels were observed at the end of fattening. CONCLUSIONS: Autogenous vaccination with a Mycoplasma hyosynoviae bacterin at six and nine weeks of age was not associated with a measurable reduction in lameness treatments in this study, and vaccinated and control pigs showed similar T20 IgG ELISA antibody profiles. Results should be interpreted in light of study limitations, including diagnostic uncertainty, factors related to vaccination timing and early immune dynamics, and the exploratory nature of the serological analysis. These findings highlight the challenges of evaluating autogenous M. hyosynoviae vaccines in the field and underscore the need for further research on effective preventive strategies. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13122867/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147487063","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":"Characterising responses in group-housed pigs to Salmonella typhimurium infection through integrated computer vision-based behavioural monitoring and statistical analyses.","authors":"Eddiemar B Lagua, Hong-Seok Mun, Keiven Mark B Ampode, Md Sharifuzzaman, Md Kamrul Hasan, Young-Hwa Kim, Chul-Ju Yang","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00497-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00497-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Health monitoring is crucial for early disease detection and prompt intervention to mitigate the disease. Computer vision is one of the novel methods for disease detection, but a significant gap remains in its application for detecting behavioural deviations associated with disease. This study employed YOLOv8s-based behavioural monitoring combined with statistical analysis to evaluate disease detection efficacy in group-housed pigs. Two groups of pigs (Control [CON] and Treatment [TRT]), 9-10 weeks old of a (Large White × Landrace) × Duroc cross, were raised for 21 days. The growing period was divided into three periods (adaptation, challenge, and recovery) and evaluated based on growth performance, health indicators (ear base temperature and faecal score), and behaviour (postures, feeding, and drinking). The TRT group was challenged with Salmonella typhimurium during the challenge period to induce infection, then treated with antibiotics. Two pre-trained YOLOv8s models were employed to quantify postures (Lateral Lying, Sternal Lying, Standing, and Sitting) and nutritive behaviours (Feeding and Drinking). Z-score analyses based on daily data (DZA) and time-specific or 12-h interval (TSZA) data were used to detect behavioural anomalies, with the adaptation period as the baseline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the challenge period, TRT pigs exhibited a drastic decline in growth, increased ear base temperature, and elevated faecal scores, confirming successful infection. Compensatory growth was observed during the recovery period. Automated behaviour monitoring enabled detailed temporal analysis of responses to infection, treatment, and environmental fluctuations. Notable behavioural deviations in the TRT group emerged at 4 days post-inoculation (DPI), aligning with significant health deterioration. However, health indicators diverged as early as 1 DPI, suggesting that group-based behavioural monitoring may be less sensitive to early individual responses. TSZA detected subtle behavioural anomalies earlier than DZA, with disruptions in the TRT group beginning at 0 DPI. These included sharp fluctuations in sitting, lying, and feeding behaviours, which gradually stabilised after treatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the potential of computer vision-based behavioural monitoring as a non-invasive, high-throughput tool for real-time health surveillance. While effective for group assessments, results emphasise the need for more advanced methods to enhance early disease detection and improve precision in pig health management.</p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13001364/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147475021","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":"Genetic diversity and circulation of influenza A viruses in Italian pig farms: insights from surveillance and vaccination.","authors":"Chiara Chiapponi, Alice Prosperi, Laura Soliani, Aurora De Mattia, Ada Mescoli, Camilla Torreggiani, Benedetta Cordioli, Ana Moreno, Luca Ferrari, Melania Andrani, Elena De Angelis, Valeria Cavalli, Giovanbattista Guadagnini, Davide Ponzoni, Emanuela Pileri, Matteo Ricchi, Paolo Borghetti, Paolo Martelli, Andrea Luppi","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00498-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00498-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The genetic diversity of influenza A viruses in swine (IAV-S) in Europe, including key subtypes such as H1N1, H3N2, H1N2, and H1N1pdm09 (which features H1 hemagglutinin genes from the H1A, H1B, and H1C genetic clades), presents challenges for vaccine development and raises concerns about potential swine-to-human transmission. IAV-S also affects the pork industry, requiring management practices such as vaccination and the adoption of biosecurity measures. To evaluate the dynamics of IAV-S infections in large pig herds and assess viral diversity and circulation patterns in pig farms, two Northern Italian farrow-to-finish farms with prior IAV-S infections participated in a 2022 longitudinal study. Sows and their piglets were sampled during farrowing and nursery. In 2023, a follow-up evaluated IAV-S circulation after implementing different vaccination strategies on the two farms, including vaccination of sows and piglets. RESULTS: The circulation of multiple IAV-S strains into the two farms was observed, identifying H1BN2, H1AN1, H1CN1, and H1CN2, characterized by different genetic patterns. We confirmed that maternal immunity was ineffective in preventing virus circulation among piglets. HI tests showed variability in detecting strains, raising concerns about their specificity. After vaccination was implemented on both farms, we detected only H1CN2 strains, but with distinct genetic patterns. CONCLUSIONS: The study highlighted the genetic diversity of IAV-S strains circulating in Italian pig farms, including potential incursions from unknown external sources. Vaccination efforts resulted in broad antibody responses; however, as expected, they did not eliminate viral circulation. The diversity of lineage-derived H1C strains, along with the emergence of H1C2.4 strains, will require further investigation. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097583/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147459482","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":"Experimental evaluation of Salmonella Choleraesuis pathogenicity and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus synergy in weaned pigs.","authors":"Eun-Mi Kim, You-Chan Bae, Hyunkyoung Lee, Mi-Hye Hwang, Kyoung-Ki Lee, Hye-Young Jeoung, Go-Eun Shin, Bok-Kyung Ku, Jongho Kim","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00502-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00502-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis (S. Choleraesuis) causes septicemic salmonellosis in pigs, which requires differential diagnosis from African swine fever (ASF). Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) facilitates S. Choleraesuis dissemination. Herein, we determined the pathogenicity of S. Choleraesuis and the synergistic effect of PRRSV in septicemic salmonellosis. Furthermore, we compared the pathological characteristics of septicemic salmonellosis and ASF. RESULTS: Two experimental studies were conducted using weaning pigs (8- and 6-week-old pigs). In the first study, 8-week-old pigs (n = 36) were divided into three groups and inoculated with S. Choleraesuis (SC group), Salmonella Typhimurium (ST group), and phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, control group). Necropsies and Salmonella quantification were performed at 1, 3, 7, and 14 days post-inoculation (dpi). Salmonella was isolated only from mesenteric lymph nodes in the SC (3–14 dpi) and ST (3 dpi) groups. The SC group showed relatively higher body temperatures, more severe clinical signs, and pronounced histopathological lesions in mesenteric lymph nodes and Peyer’s patches than did the ST group. In the second study, 40 pigs were assigned to four groups: 12 pigs coinfected with S. Choleraesuis and PRRSV (PRRSV + SC group), 12 pigs infected with S. Choleraesuis (SC group), 8 pigs infected with PRRSV, and 8 pigs inoculated with PBS (control group). They were monitored until 16 dpi and euthanized on 2, 6, 8, and 16 dpi to determine body weight, clinical signs, hematological changes, histopathological examination, and S. Choleraesuis colonization. PRRSV + SC pigs had the lowest average daily weight gain and higher mean values, including body temperatures and clinical signs than those of the other groups. They also showed more extensive tissue colonization with S. Choleraesuis than that in the SC group. Compared to the principal pathological characteristics of ASF, some pigs in the SC and PRRSV + SC groups showed splenomegaly with dark discoloration and gastrohepatic lymph node enlargement without hemorrhage. However, renal lymph nodes remained unaffected. CONCLUSIONS: Pigs infected with S. Choleraesuis revealed higher pathogenicity than did those infected with S. Typhimurium, and coinfections with PRRSV enhanced systemic infection. Distinct lesions in gastrohepatic and renal lymph nodes aid differential diagnosis between septicemic salmonellosis and ASF. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13088407/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147435093","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":"Pig productive performance parameters and costs in Spain: evolution from 2015 to 2024.","authors":"Josep Font, Joan Rocadembosch, Josep Bernaus, Olga Miró, Judit Argerich, Laia Cordón, Irene Planas, Just Font, Lorenzo Fraile","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00500-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00500-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: The goals of the present work were to describe reliable reference values and their temporal evolution for production parameters and pig production cost from 2015 to 2024 in Spain. Between 109 and 123 pig production companies from Spain were included in this study from 2015 to 2024. Monthly data on feed consumption, number of pigs produced, expenses and census collected in herds of these companies were standardized and used to calculate cost and production parameters. The collected data each month was merged to obtain a yearly average value considering the pig production flow each month. A generalized linear mixed model was performed to evaluate the association between the production performance and cost variables and the year, geographical location and its interaction. RESULTS: The production performance has been continuously improving in the piglet production and fattening phase from 2015 to 2020 and from 2015 to 2022, respectively. Thus, the number of piglets per sow per year increased 0.4 by year and the feed conversion ratio decreased 0.025 by year during the former time periods. This trend changed suddenly in 2020 and 2022 for the piglet production and fattening phase, respectively. The introduction of a high virulent PRRS strain (HP-PRRSV) may have played a key role. On the other hand, the production performance in the nursery phase has been continuously worsening since 2015 probably due to the reduction of antibiotic use since this year, the ban of zinc oxide in 2022 and the introduction of the HP-PRRSV since 2020. On the other hand, feed price was quite constant from 2015 to 2020 but suffered a huge increment between 2021 and 2022 and decreased afterwards. The total cost per kilogram of body weight produced showed a similar pattern to the one observed for feed price. This result highlights the relevance of the feed price in the final cost and the impact of health events despite continuous improvement in production performance by genetic selection, management, facilities and feed quality. CONCLUSION: Pig production parameters have generally improved from 2015 to 2020 and worsened afterwards. The cost of pig production has been significantly affected by the feed cost and by the production parameters, especially sow productivity and post-weaning mortality. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13072534/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147366250","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":"Practices and impact of biosecurity on pig performance in the West Region of Cameroon.","authors":"Ronald Vougat Ngom, Zaverime Mafokemg, Emmanuel Assana","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00493-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00493-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: In Africa, pig significantly contributes to animal protein supply to enhance food security. Pig farming in Cameroon is subject to perpetual health threats, with the spread of several diseases which strongly impact the production. This study aimed to evaluate the biosecurity compliance in pig farms in the West Region of Cameroon and assess its relationship with production performance. During on farm visit and face to face interview, data about biosecurity, veterinary drug usage and production parameters were collected in 78 randomly selected farms from April and October 2024. RESULTS: Results showed that almost all of pig farms (98.7%) used antiparasitics and 94.9% used antibiotics for preventive (58.7%) or curative (41.3%) purposes. Vaccination against swine erysipelas was practiced by only 24.4% of farmers. More than half of the farms (64.1%) in the study area had a biosecurity score below 50 out of 100 and the average biosecurity score was 47 (ranged 28-66). Biosecurity measure related to personnel and visitors ranked the lowest score (21, range 0-71) while measures applied during farrowing and suckling period (77, range 20-100), and those associated with the environment and region (77, range 40-100) ranked the highest. The biosecurity level was significantly influenced by the years of experience and the training in pig farming of interviewees, the herd size, the type of breeds reared and the production type (farrower, grower‐finisher or farrow‐to‐finish). Findings revealed a moderate association between number of farrowings per sow per year and lactation length. A correlation was found between biosecurity and lactation length. The high mortality rate (44.64 ± 24.60%) recorded on farms with a poor level of biosecurity compared to others (15.45 ± 11.94%) shows the importance of biosecurity in the prevention and control of diseases and the improvement of production. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight the need for capacity building and awareness among farmers on the importance of implementing biosecurity measures for improving pig production. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12980972/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147366198","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":"Diversity and abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in manure from pig farms with varying antibiotic use: a long-read metagenomic sequencing approach.","authors":"Michael Biggel, Thomas Oberhänsli, Dolf Kümmerlen, Michael Walkenhorst, Roger Stephan, Mirjam Holinger","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00496-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00496-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>BACKGROUND: Livestock production contributes to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), with pig farming accounting for a large share of veterinary antibiotic use. Manure application to fields can release drug-resistant bacteria and AMR genes into the environment, creating potential transmission routes to humans. Mobile genetic elements such as plasmids and transposons facilitate horizontal transfer of AMR genes between bacteria, including pathogens. However, quantitative data on the manure resistome and its links to antibiotic use remain limited. Shotgun metagenomics provides broad insights into microbiota and AMR composition, with long-read sequencing offering improved resolution of the genomic context of AMR genes. Here, we applied long-read shotgun metagenomics to investigate the diversity, abundance, and mobility potential of AMR genes in 24 manure samples from 14 Swiss pig farms with documented antibiotic use. RESULTS: Across 24 manure samples, 225 distinct AMR genes were detected, with tetracycline resistance genes being most prevalent. Manure samples from farms reporting the highest recent antibiotic use contained greater AMR gene abundance and richness. Metagenomic assemblies revealed that 77% of AMR genes with resolved flanking regions were located near transposases, recombinases, integrases, or relaxases, suggesting high transfer potential. The tigecycline resistance gene tet(X6) and related variants were identified in 21 of 24 samples, frequently embedded within mobile genetic elements. Two samples contained complete gene clusters of the vancomycin resistance determinant vanB, one of which was part of the conjugative transposon Tn1549. In one sample, a single highly abundant plasmid encoding beta-lactam and aminoglycoside resistance accounted for 42% of the total AMR gene load. CONCLUSIONS: Pig manure is a reservoir of diverse and mobile AMR genes, including those conferring resistance to critically important antibiotics. Long-read metagenomics adds valuable genomic context, supporting AMR monitoring and risk assessment within a One Health framework. </p>","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13049923/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147318231","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":"Dietary silicate: a biogenic strategy to enhance growth, gut health, and nutrient utilization in finishing pigs through low-carbon diets.","authors":"Wei Han Zhao, Seung Jin Yun, In Ho Kim","doi":"10.1186/s40813-026-00494-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s40813-026-00494-5","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;BACKGROUND: Low-carbon feeding is an effective strategy to reduce nutrient losses and environmental emissions in swine production. High-protein (HP) diets increase nitrogen (N) excretion and ammonia (NH3) emissions, whereas low-protein (LP) diets improve N utilization but may impair growth performance. Silicate (SIL) has been reported to enhance digestion and reduce harmful gas emissions; however, its efficacy under different dietary protein levels remains unclear. Therefore, this study evaluated the effects of SIL supplementation in HP and LP diets to provide evidence for efficient and low-carbon pig production. METHODS: A 10-wk feeding trial was conducted using 200 pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] with an initial body weight of 55.40 ± 3.36 kg. Pigs were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design, with 10 replicates per treatment and 5 pigs per pen (2 gilts and 3 barrows). The experiment followed a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of two dietary protein levels: HP and LP diets, with 2% lower crude protein (CP), and two levels of SIL supplementation (0 or 0.1%). RESULTS: The results demonstrated that dietary supplementation with 0.1% SIL significantly improved growth performance, as indicated by increased average daily gain (ADG) and reduced feed conversion ratio (FCR) (P &lt; 0.05). SIL supplementation also enhanced the digestibility of dry matter (DM), N, and energy (E), while reducing moisture digestibility (P &lt; 0.05). In addition, SIL significantly decreased fecal emissions of NH₃, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and carbon dioxide (CO₂) and improved fecal consistency scores at wk 10 (P &lt; 0.05), indicating its potential to mitigate environmental emissions. Regarding physiological responses, SIL supplementation increased white blood cell (WBC) counts and blood glucose concentrations (P &lt; 0.05 and P &lt; 0.01, respectively), while reducing serum creatinine and cortisol levels (P &lt; 0.05), suggesting improved metabolic status and reduced physiological stress. In terms of meat quality, SIL enhanced muscle water-holding capacity (WHC), reduced drip loss, and improved tissue cohesiveness and elasticity (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, SIL supplementation increased the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and improved the ratio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acids, indicating a favorable modification of lipid composition. Dietary protein level also exerted significant main effects. LP diets reduced CO₂ emissions and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentrations (P &lt; 0.05), reflecting a lower N metabolic burden and reduced carbon emissions. No significant interaction between dietary protein level and SIL supplementation was observed for the measured parameters. Fecal microbiota analysis showed that SIL supplementation was associated with alterations in gut microbial composition, characterized by an increased relative abundance of beneficial taxa, including Lactobacillus and members of the Lactobacillaceae family. These","PeriodicalId":20352,"journal":{"name":"Porcine Health Management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2026-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12937523/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146259200","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}