...and the pigs are still sick

On Mon, 3 Mar 2008 11:03:16 -0000, "Pat Gardiner"
wrote:

Pat's Note: I'll give this report in full. It is critically important for
everyone and it would be unfair to edit it in any way.

I'll also put my comments at the foot. They will be scathing.

http://www.thepigsite.com/swinenews/...tfebruary-2008


Monday, March 03, 2008

NADIS Veterinary Report and Forecast-February 2008

UK - This months report from the National Animal Disease Information Service
(NADIS) says the possibility of financial assistance to help herds control
Porcine Circovirus comes too late for many as more producers are choosing to
depopulate their units. The data is collected from NADIS UK farm
inspections.

With the start of a New Year that pig producers hope to present fewer
unexpected challenges than 2007, reports from NADIS Veterinary Surgeons
attending pig farms are littered with observations of herds deciding to
depopulate and exit the industry. The availability and possible financial
assistance to control disease associated with Porcine Circovirus has come
too late for some.

Sows

The most concerning observation during the month concerned the apparent
upsurge in disease associated with PRRS both in breeding and feeding herds.
In the former, suspected disease accounted for episodes of poor quality pigs
being born, abortions and premature farrowings (although in one case
mycotoxins may also have been implicated). It is 17 years since this disease
first appeared in the UK and as is typical of new diseases, the clinical
picture has changed over time to become less specific and fortunately less
devastating. However, it is still capable of imposing severe constraints on
health and production and it may be significant that the proportion of all
herds recorded under NADIS that are using PRRS vaccines has dropped from 31%
in 2006 to 23% in 2007. Could it be that cost saving measures in the form of
reduced vaccinations are allowing disease levels to rise?

Other specific issues noted in the breeding herd in January included:

Problems with sow condition believed to be the result of deterioration of
insulation material in dry sow accommodation and a shift from using barley
straw to wheat. The former can contribute significant levels of energy and
is quite palatable. Wheat straw, particularly some of the poorer quality
material available this year, has neither benefit.

Service problems due to poor heat detection particularly in gilts,
associated with staff problems.

A 24% drop in farrowing rate in a herd that changed from weekly to 3 weekly
batch farrowing in the first cycle. Semen quality was also questioned.

Piglets

Specific piglet issues were not widely reported in January although comments
regarding piglet quality both at birth and weaning were received. These were
thought to be associated with disease (PRRS), nutrition and stockmanship.

Meningitis appeared as a major problem in one herd at 2-3 weeks where not
previously experienced. No explanation of why was offered.

Weaners

Overstocking continues to be a regular observation and if successful
Circovirus vaccination is to be widely applied this problem will only get
worse. The reasons identified included excess farrowings, slowed growth, and
continued problems with marketing finishing pigs which has a backing up
effect throughout the farm. Fortunately this problem seems to now be easing.

Overstocking, and pressure on accommodation generally, will certainly not
help reduce the impact of many of the specific problems identified in the
month, which included PMWS, (exacerbated by PRRS) tail biting, ear tip
necrosis, Salmonella associated post weaning scour and ileitis. In addition,
greasy pig disease, atrophic rhinitis (now something of a rarity in the UK)
and Swine Dysentery were all reported.

Inadequate ventilation control and insulation, and lack of heating was
highlighted as causing chilling which will equally tend to exacerbate
disease.

Grower/Finishers

Many familiar problems were highlighted in the older feeding herd in
January, with overstocking still a serious issue on some farms, specifically
associated with vice and widespread enteric disease. There appears to be
something of an increase in reports of Swine Dysentery, especially in East
Anglia, and producers will need to be wary of any increase in grower scours
if early detection is to be achieved.

PMWS was reported in its late onset form, in one case contributing to losses
of 40%, acting as a reminder of the essential basic husbandry needs of
avoidance of chilling and overcrowding (the latter often used in winter in
an attempt to reduce the former).

Straw based pigs in naturally ventilated buildings are prone to chilling in
winter when inadequate bedding is made available but producers should also
be aware of the potential problem, highlighted in one report, of Erysipelas
in growing pigs on straw, even in cold weather. (Erysipelas is erroneously
often viewed as a warm weather disease.) This infection was also possibly
implicated in an acute lameness problem in growers although Haemophilus
parasuis was also thought to be involved.

The continued mixing of sources of weaners into finishing accommodation
perpetuates respiratory disease reports and until such practices cease,
disease will limit production.

Finally, two parasitic problems were highlighted:

Lice - rarely seen in commercial production, these skin parasites were seen
in a 'hobby farm' and can be implicated in disease spread.
Milk spot livers - the result of migration of Ascaris Suum worm larvae -
cannot be detected in the live animal. Membership of BHPS will assist
monitoring this condition, which can have a serious impact on growth.
Through what are expected to be the coldest months of February and March,
problems should be anticipated with:
Chilling triggering scour etc
Poor air flows exacerbating respiratory disease
Water supply problems
Difficulties with frozen ground outdoors, limiting feed and water uptake and
mating behaviour.

Pat's Comments:

The posssibility of finanical assistance to help handle Circovirus has
indeed come too late. Nine years too late. You can't make money out of sick
pigs, except by over-generous compensation. BTW "possibility" does not
impress the bank manager, only the lobbyists.

The SVS failed to make the disease PMWS notifiable in 1999. That stopped EU
assistance and enabled MAFF to cover up the epidemic. The compensated cull
for CSF and especially for welfare at that time should have culled out the
PMWS sick herds.

It didn't work, PMWS survived. Neither did the FMD cull.

The legality of paying millions of taxpayer's (and incidentally farmer's
money too) for devalued pigs sick with another disease could occupy lawyers
for the next hundred years. It is actually not that important in the overall
scheme of things.

Had the SVS acted correctly and made PMWS notifiable, the payments would
have been legal and money would have poured into cirovirus research. They
should compensate the taxpayer out of the SVS's pension fund. They covered
it up. They should pay.

PRRS is a circovirus related to PMWS. The exact science of the relationship
is still debated, but that they are related seems undisputed.

That the disease PRRS first arrived in Britain 17 years ago, may or may not
be right, accounts vary, but again is a bit of a red herring.

PMWS, which is the real killer, with PDNS, mutated and went into epidemic
mode in 1999. It was obviously a mutation, since milder forms existed
elsewhere at the time and only later became severe, probably via live
exports from Britain.

The fact that the vets and lobbyists tried to redate mutated PMWS to 2001,
says it all.

The herds are still undeniably sick and PMWS still giving up to 40 percent
loss rates in some herds. We don't know more because nobody including the
vets have any accurate figures. They are a state secret as is the pigs MRSA
status.

The government are going to have to admit that the SVS have tested the pigs
and have known for some time that MRSA is present, just as it is in many
other countries including our near neighbours and Canada. Why else refuse to
test the pigs?

Logic and some knowledge of the criminal mind is all you need when working
out what Britain's government vets are up to. Science takes second place to
them, and has to, also to anyone trying to understand their actions.

All these problems started to get serious in Britain, something that has not
escaped the various overseas investigations. They have to know and Britain's
continuing attempts to hide up an epidemic (since 1999) just look more and
more perverse.

The commercial vets, whilst scowling at me with ever increasing face
contortions, are for whatever reason proving an ever increasing stream of
accurate information given in a less coded fashion.

I can live with being unpopular for a time. Popularity is a transit thing.
Truth lasts for ever.

If I last out long enough, I'm quite sure I will be guest of honour at the
annual veterinary hop and have dozens of very attractive young lady vets
hanging on my every word.

Did I hear a vet mutter under his breath - "you should be so lucky!" ?