“Pig Farming Sector Takes Steps to Monitor Flu Among Pigs Due to Increase in Zoonoses Concerns: Insights from Royal GD’s Pig Department Head on Pig Manure, Pig Health, and Transparency”

2023-05-01 11:55:00

Editorial

Kees van Dooren

theme editor pig manure and pig health

Attention to flu among pigs is increasing, partly as a result of corona and bird flu.

Just as this is already happening in humans, the pig farming sector may also be monitoring which flu strains are circulating in pigs from now on. This was started last winter on a limited number of pig farms. “The research will be completed next summer and it will be decided whether the monitoring will be continued,” says veterinarian Manon Houben, head of the pig department at Royal GD.

In the first run, 522 samples were collected from animals with flu symptoms. This concerns samples from piglets, fattening pigs and sows. It turned out that 45% tested positive for the influenza A virus. The strains have been further investigated to learn more about the origin of the viruses.

More attention to zoonoses after corona

After corona, zoonoses (infections that can pass from animals to humans) will receive extra political and social attention. The client for the research is the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). In the so-called zoonoses signaling consultations which takes place monthly, it has been decided to start this monitoring. Houben about the monitoring: “transparency is becoming increasingly important.”

The information may also be relevant for the pig farmer. Whether or not new strains of flu are found, for example, says something about the biosecurity on a farm. The monitoring also shows how sick pigs of a certain strain become. Finally, monitoring can play a role in the choice of a particular flu vaccine on a pig farm.

Monitoring flu viruses on pig farm ‘blind spot’

Pig farming is a blind spot when it comes to monitoring flu viruses. Scientists said this last year during a hearing of the House of Representatives on avian flu and zoonoses. In the Netherlands, much more attention should be paid to the flu viruses that circulate in pig farming. Also to see whether the avian flu virus has been introduced there, the scientists believe. There is a good idea of ​​which flu viruses are circulating among poultry. This is not yet the case with pigs.