Housing and management factors and breed predisposition for haemorrhagic bowel syndrome in swine

• Published in: Porcine Health Management. 2023-10, Vol.9 (1), p.1-44, Article 44
• Main Authors: Holenweger, Fabienne, Schüpbach, Gertraud, Hofer, Andreas, Sidler, Xaver, Grahofer, Alexander
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdominal distension; Agriculture; Environment; Farms; Hogs; Hypotheses; Investigations; Pig; Questionnaires; Risk factor; Risk factors; Sudden death; Variables
• ISSN: 2055-5660; 2055-5660
• DOI: 10.1186/s40813-023-00340-y

BackgroundHaemorrhagic bowel syndrome (HBS) is a sporadically occurring disorder characterized by sudden death in pigs in combination with a pale and bloated carcass with no prior signs of disease. Most often HBS is affecting fattening pigs. Due to the good general health and performance before death as well as the time point of disease shortly prior to slaughter, this syndrome means a significant economic impact for the farm and is a major animal welfare concern. Furthermore, the cause or the causing agents have not yet been identified even though it is a worldwide known problem. The aim of this study was to detect possible risk factors for the occurrence of HBS with the focus on risk factors on herd level.ResultsManagement and feeding strategies of 97 Swiss fattening herds with high and low HBS incidence were assessed and examined to identify risk factors for the disease. Having only pigs sired by the PREMO® breed in the herd showed to be a significant risk factor for HBS (Odds Ratio (OR) = 147) as compared to having other breeds or a mixture of multiple breeds. Furthermore, pigs from two or more origins per batch compared to having only one origin per batch significantly increased the disease risk (OR = 52). Farms with 1 decimetre greater feeding place width per finisher pig have a lower HBS incidence (OR = 0.07). The frequency of cleaning of the distribution pipes (split up into categories, e.g. once a month) was associated with being a HBS case farm (p