Prevention Works

Prevention Works is a holistic approach to swine health built on our range of innovative world-class vaccines complemented by:

  • Professional people with a passion for pigs
  • State-of-the-art diagnostics
  • Tools to evaluate the success of prevention

Our goal is going from prevention to prediction and beyond

The Swine Health content site.
Curated for you with love.

Latest publications

How swine viruses spread
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How swine viruses spread: Delving into airborne transmission

“We know that vaccinating can decrease the amount of viruses in the air, so vaccination is a good mechanism to prevent airborne transmission” Swine veterinary consultant Dr. Carmen Alonso in Spain picks out lessons from her detailed studies of air samples inside and outside farms suffering an outbreak of PRRS, influenza A or porcine epidemic diarrhoea --- as well as poultry sites with highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Professor Segalés shares
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PCV3: Emerging pathogen or incidental finding?

“Our recent work demonstrated the presence of the PCV-3 genome within mild-to moderate histological lesions of aborted fetuses.

Dr. Mike Murtaugh discusses
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Do PCV2-a based vaccines cross protect?

In this video Dr. Mike Murtaugh discusses vaccine cross-protection on various PCV2 strains: PCV2a, PCV2b & PCV2d. He also talks about the outbreaks of PCVAD and how correct usage of the vaccine is key.

Update on Porcine Circovirus diseases
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Update on Porcine Circovirus diseases

Prof Joaquim Segalés and Dr Oliver Duran Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) was initially detected in the late 1990s in North America and Europe associated with a post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome in pigs. 

Why does a pig cough
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Why does a pig cough?

Greg Stevenson

ANIMAL WELFARE
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ANIMAL WELFARE

Give all the piglets the same opportunity:

Secure colostrum-intake for all

Combine different interventions

Iron supplementation from day 3 or later

Preventative pain treatment = not only for male piglets

Apply pain-relieving/ anti-inflammatory medication with a broad spectrum of activity for docked tails or arthritis

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PREVENTING PAIN

Sucking pigs have an irrepressible desire to live.  However, painful events may have a negative impact on the further development of pigs by:

Lowering milk-intake

Restricting self-preservation instinct (reflex to flee)

OPTIMAL IRON SUPPLEMENTATION
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OPTIMAL IRON SUPPLEMENTATION

Early and excessive iron supplementation can negatively influence health

Piglets are born with minimal iron-reserves (40 mg). This low iron concentration is a natural defence mechanism directed at combatting bacterial infections during and after birth.

Sow milk provides piglets with about 1 mg Iron/day. With a daily need of about 7 mg there is only sufficient iron for about 4 to 5 days.

MANAGING SUCKLING PIGLETS
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MANAGING SUCKLING PIGLETS

Systematics in sucking pig management:

 Checklist for a good start

1. Number of functional teats checked and recorded 

2. A number of  pigs, to leave two fewer piglets than the number of functional teats, are fostered out of a litter 

FOSTERING PIGLETS
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FOSTERING PIGLETS

Although fostering is often necessary in highly prolific sow units, there are significant risks associated with the procedure:

VACCINATION OF SUCKLING PIGS
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VACCINATION OF SUCKLING PIGS

A frequent observation: after a treatment (injection, etc.) stressed piglets may not suckle for several hours. This has negative consequences for the development of the piglets and may result in milk-congestion in the sow.