S. Suis and the ASF at the XXV Pig Conferences of the UAB and AVPC

The UAB and AVPC Pig Conferences have reached their 25th edition this week, and they have done so by focusing on current issues for the pig sector such as streptococcus suis, and the possibilities of working without amoxicillin against this bacterium, and the current situation of African swine fever (ASF). Once again, this event has brought together more than 200 attendees linked to the pig sector.

To address the problem of S. suis, the event included professionals from the sector linked to animal health, such as Enric Marco, who offered his point of view about this disease present in a high percentage of farms in the post-weaning phase. As he pointed out, the decline in antibiotic reduction and the shift from prophylactic medications to therapeutic medications has brought with it a generalization of problems with s. suis that have not been able to afford the feed additives that have recently appeared on the market and that are far from achieving the infection control achieved by amoxicillin. To fight against the disease, Marco considered it essential to maintain high levels of biosecurity in the facilities, carry out good handling and lower densities.

On the other hand, Jordi Casal delved into an issue as worrisome as ASF, offering a review of its spread since its appearance in China in 2007 and its arrival in China in 2018 and its subsequent spread throughout Asia. As Casal highlighted, the PPA is expanding and in the last two years it has been presented for the first time in European countries such as Germany and Italy; in Bhutan, Thailand and Nepal, in Asia; and on the island of Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In turn, countries like the Czech Republic and Belgium have managed to eradicate it. To control the disease, it is of vital importance to improve the biosecurity of farms and the control of movement of animals and by-products.

25th anniversary of the Conferences

As usual, the congress is divided into three days: one focused on thematic workshops that have addressed issues such as water control, the interpretation of pinso formulas, cleaning and disinfection, and handling in bands; the central day, dedicated to l'strep suis ia la PPA; and lastly, the presentation of clinical cases.