PED is the number one killer of piglets, and prevention and control must be prioritized in autumn and winter
PED is the number one killer of piglets, and it must be guarded against in autumn and winter
1. Epidemiological characteristics
It occurs in all four seasons, with autumn, winter and spring being more prominent, especially when there are large temperature differences, high humidity and poor environment, which become triggering factors. It is mainly transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Diseased pigs shed the virus through feces and urine, and the virus in the environment such as contaminated feed, drinking water and tools; infected sows transmit the virus to piglets through milk, thus causing piglets to begin showing clinical symptoms such as diarrhea after consuming colostrum after birth. Replacement gilts are the first to be affected, and the morbidity rate and piglet mortality rate of first-litter piglets can be as high as 90%-100%.
2. Clinical characteristics
Piglets can develop the disease after birth, with vomiting, watery diarrhea, dehydration and death from acidosis as the main features. On necropsy, the intestinal wall becomes transparent.
3. Prevention and control plan
(1) Vaccine immunization
Use the 2 live + 1 killed approach (i.e., attenuated vaccine at 5 weeks and 2 weeks before farrowing, and inactivated vaccine at 4 weeks before farrowing) to immunize sows following each pregnancy;
(2) During immunization, ensure that PRRS, classical swine fever and pseudorabies are stable on the farm, and use new vaccines based on currently circulating strains;
(3) Strengthen biosecurity during peak disease seasons:
★ Do a good job of isolation and acclimation of replacement gilts
★ Use segmented rearing for fattening houses and sow houses
★ Do a good job of disinfecting the overall environment
★ All-in, all-out, and do a thorough disinfection of empty pens
★ Protect susceptible animals and improve the disease resistance of the herd
★ Do a good job of farrowing house work and procedures in advance to prevent cross-infection
(4) Environmental control: within one week of farrowing in the farrowing house, control the overall environment at 24-26 degrees Celsius and the creep area at 32-34 degrees Celsius, then lower it by 2 degrees Celsius each week thereafter.
4. Emergency handling
(1) For piglets that develop the disease within 5 days of age, it is recommended to directly cull and deep-bury them to shorten the disease period.
(2) For piglets aged 5-14 days, turn off the drinkers and supplement oral rehydration salts in the trough to prevent death caused by dehydration and acidosis in piglets; piglets over 14 days of age should be weaned immediately and directly raised in the nursery house.
(3) For sows within one week of farrowing, keep them away from the currently affected farrowing houses and strictly control the entry and exit of personnel.
(4) For pregnant sows more than 7 days before farrowing, urgently immunize with the diarrhea variant bivalent vaccine (1 dose each of live + killed vaccine).
(5) Do a good job of disinfecting affected pig houses and promptly clean up sow feces.
(6) Do a good job of preventing and controlling the postpartum triad syndrome in sows. ⟦27 (7) Control the overall environment at 24-26 degrees Celsius and the micro-environment at 32 degrees Celsius. Keep the pens dry; desiccants can be used directly for covering.
(7) Keep the overall environment at 24-26°C, and the local environment at 32°C. Keep the pens dry; desiccants can be applied directly as a covering.
(8) Prevent cross-infection in the use of tools and personnel operations in the pens.
(9) Adjust sow health status: Kangzhiyuan (2kg/t) + Banxu'an (1.5kg/t), added continuously for 7 days.