Preventing swine Japanese encephalitis, Chiayi County Livestock Division urges pig farmers to implement mosquito control and vaccination

As spring arrives, the weather is getting hotter. Despite drought and water shortages, most farmland is still planted with rice, and watery environments easily breed disease-carrying mosquitoes. To prevent swine Japanese encephalitis outbreaks, the Chiayi County Livestock Disease Control Center is urging pig farmers to strengthen all epidemic prevention work, including cleaning the pig farm environment, implementing all mosquito control measures and hanging mosquito traps. Breeding pigs on the farm should also receive a booster injection of Japanese encephalitis vaccine every year to reduce the incidence of the disease.

Japanese encephalitis is a zoonotic infectious disease, a viral disease transmitted by vector mosquitoes such as Culex tritaeniorhynchus and Culex annulus. Infection in pigs easily causes miscarriage and stillbirth in pregnant sows, mummified fetuses, or weak newborn piglets, causing serious losses to operators.

April to October each year is the epidemic season for swine Japanese encephalitis, with June to July being the peak of the epidemic. Because vector mosquitoes easily breed in places such as paddy fields, ditches and water-holding containers, to prevent pigs from being infected with Japanese encephalitis, pig farms should strengthen cleaning and disinfection of the surrounding environment, including removing water-holding containers and clearing ditches, carry out regular whole-farm disinfection, and hang mosquito traps inside livestock sheds to effectively reduce the vector mosquito index.

The Livestock Division calls on farmers: because infection with this disease in pregnant sows easily causes miscarriage, stillbirth and mummified fetuses, it is recommended that new sows complete 2 doses of Japanese encephalitis vaccine before mating, while parous sows and breeding boars should receive 1 booster dose of vaccine each year for effective prevention.

The Livestock Division once again reminds pig farmers that eliminating vector mosquitoes and injecting vaccines are currently the most effective methods for preventing and controlling Japanese encephalitis. When necessary, mosquito traps should be installed inside livestock sheds, and the health status of pigs should be observed every day. If abnormalities are found or diseases such as Japanese encephalitis are suspected, please immediately report to the Livestock Division epidemic prevention hotline 05-3620025, and the Livestock Division will immediately provide the necessary diagnosis and epidemic prevention measures.