Pig Sector Faces New Disease

Wednesday, 6th June 2001
Source: The Scotsman
by Dan Buglass

PIG farmers in Scotland face the challenge of a new disease with potentially disastrous financial implications, following confirmation of the first case of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS).

It is a wasting disease closely associated with a similar problem, dermatitis nephropathy syndrome (PDNS), which has been found in the Scottish herd in recent years. Dr Dave Strachan of the Scottish Agricultural College's veterinary investigation centre in Aberdeen, who has studied the disease closely, said: "It's a very nasty condition and is hard to get rid of. The cause of PMWS has yet to be fully worked out but it affects piglets between six and 12 weeks, most commonly at weaning. It has no effect on adult pigs.

"The symptoms are a failure to gain weight and since it appears to suppress the immune system, the pigs are prone to a whole range of other problems including scours and a general lack of thriftiness."

PMWS was first noticed in Canada in 1991 and spread to a range of countries including the US, France, Spain, Ireland and the Netherlands before being confirmed for the first time in the UK in late 1999.

There have been large-scale outbreaks in East Anglia and Yorkshire over the last 18 months with more than 400 reported incidents, usually in tandem with PDNS.

Mortality can be as high as 20 per cent. Another problem with the disease is that it is very persistent and can be present on pig units for between six months and two years.

The Meat and Livestock Commission reckon that a severe outbreak will force up the production break even price by 10-15p per kilo deadweight.

For most commercial units the break even price is between 85p and 95p. However, current prices are running at no more than 97p. That effectively means producers with serious problems with PMWS and possibly PDNS are losing a great deal of money.

Prevention rather than cure is the key, according to Dr Strachan: "Biosecurity is certainly the word and I think farmers should try to keep mixing of different batches to a minimum. It would also be advisable to quarantine all replacement pigs for a month."

NORTHERN Ireland has been given permission to resume exports of meat and dairy products after Europe lifted restrictions imposed because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The province was also given clearance to resume the export of live pigs and sheep.

The decision came at a meeting of the EU Standing Veterinary Committee in Brussels.

It is the only region of the UK which is able to resume exports, worth more than £200 million a year to the province.

THE news came as Maff finally decided to include Northern Ireland's four cases in the UK figure, taking the 5pm total yesterday to 1,704. There were six new cases on Monday, five of them in Cumbria and one, up to 5pm, yesterday as the Ministry continued to deny persistent rumours that the true figures are being hidden and that a huge cull is planned immediately after the general election.

If there is an attempt to hide cases, it is proving a failure. There were more than 40 cases in week 15, which ended yesterday, the second successive weekly increase since the low of 25 in week 13.