In recent years, African swine fever has caused enormous losses to China’s pig farming industry. As temperatures shift from hot to cool in autumn, many farmers are concerned: will African swine fever spread faster in this season than in summer? Five factors can increase the risk of African swine fever spreading in autumn.
Large temperature differences between morning and evening
The ideal temperature for pigs is around 21℃. Temperatures below 15℃ or above 26℃ are very uncomfortable for pigs, naturally reducing their resistance. Viruses only take advantage when their defenses are down, so paying close attention to the temperature at the pig farm is essential.
Unstable climate
Above, we discussed temperature changes within a single day. Here, we are discussing temperature changes over a short period, such as within 10 days. The climate in spring and autumn is unstable, and autumn may bring what feels like “four seasons.”
When it rains, low temperatures may persist for several days. When it is sunny, it can feel as though the height of summer has returned. This alternation between cold and hot is a real test for pigs. After all, pigs cannot control their own environment and still need human care.
In veterinary medicine, there is a consensus that the outbreaks of the vast majority of diseases are related to stress. So we must focus on caring for pigs: open the windows for ventilation when needed, close them when needed, and promptly add heat lamps for piglets when needed. Only by caring for pigs as we would care for children can they repay us.
Strengthening monsoon
Starting in autumn, the monsoon begins to strengthen. “The crisp autumn breeze” feels quite pleasant to people after the hot summer, but forPig diseasesis not a good thing for the spread.
Many diseases (such as foot-and-mouth disease) can spread through the air, while African swine fever is mainly spread through contact. Although it has not yet been clearly proven that African swine fever can spread through the air, in areas with dense livestock farming, strong winds could blow particles of dust contaminated with the African swine fever virus to other places, which is very dangerous. Therefore, stronger monsoons will inevitably accelerate the spread of the virus.
Increased rainfall
Over the past half month, there has really been more rain than we can handle. Some pig farm owners complain: “My pig farm wasn’t brought down by African swine fever; it was brought down by the heavy rain!”
On the one hand, heavy rain itself poses a threat to the buildings and electrical wiring at pig farms. On the other hand, rainwater can carry various pathogens to other places. In the past, when pigs had been exposed to floodwater, we needed to restore dry conditions in the pig house as soon as possible, keep it warm, and add medicines such as amoxicillin, Astragalus polysaccharide, and compound vitamins to the feed to maintain the pigs’ resistance and prevent disease infections. Imagine heavy rain arriving, with water several tens of centimeters deep soaking all kinds of things. At that point, the African swine fever virus could be said to have been carried by the water in every direction.
Management is not keeping up
“Preventive treatment of disease” is becoming increasingly important in pig production. We vaccinate pigs and provide health care to prevent diseases in advance, so they do not break out or are eliminated while still in their early stages.
But manypig farmerHe seems not to have realized this yet and can only see what is “right in front of him”; he thinks that if the pigs are healthy now, there is no problem. To give a simple example, when a farmer raising 100 pigs has 3 pigs coughing, he either does nothing or gives them injections;
When 10 pigs are coughing, he still gives them injections. By the time half the pigs are coughing, he wants to solve the problem by mixing medication into the feed for the entire herd, but by then it is often already too late because lung lesions are irreversible and the disease is difficult to treat.
In pig farming, we really need to think ahead and take preventive measures. When the first signs of a problem appear, we need to consider what steps to take so that the remaining pigs do not develop the same problem. With African swine fever present, we cannot afford to let our management awareness fall behind.
Summary
We are currently at a climate turning point. In a farming environment ravaged by African swine fever, minimizing stress on the pig herd as much as possible is the first step in preventing disease. Autumn weather conditions are bound to accelerate the spread of African swine fever, so please ensure your farm’s biosecurity.
Disclaimer: Some article materials are sourced from the internet and have been marked
Large temperature differences between morning and evening
The ideal temperature for pigs is around 21℃. Temperatures below 15℃ or above 26℃ are very uncomfortable for pigs, naturally reducing their resistance. Viruses only take advantage when their defenses are down, so paying close attention to the temperature at the pig farm is essential.
Unstable climate
Above, we discussed temperature changes within a single day. Here, we are discussing temperature changes over a short period, such as within 10 days. The climate in spring and autumn is unstable, and autumn may bring what feels like “four seasons.”
When it rains, low temperatures may persist for several days. When it is sunny, it can feel as though the height of summer has returned. This alternation between cold and hot is a real test for pigs. After all, pigs cannot control their own environment and still need human care.
In veterinary medicine, there is a consensus that the outbreaks of the vast majority of diseases are related to stress. So we must focus on caring for pigs: open the windows for ventilation when needed, close them when needed, and promptly add heat lamps for piglets when needed. Only by caring for pigs as we would care for children can they repay us.
Strengthening monsoon
Starting in autumn, the monsoon begins to strengthen. “The crisp autumn breeze” feels quite pleasant to people after the hot summer, but forPig diseasesis not a good thing for the spread.
Many diseases (such as foot-and-mouth disease) can spread through the air, while African swine fever is mainly spread through contact. Although it has not yet been clearly proven that African swine fever can spread through the air, in areas with dense livestock farming, strong winds could blow particles of dust contaminated with the African swine fever virus to other places, which is very dangerous. Therefore, stronger monsoons will inevitably accelerate the spread of the virus.
Increased rainfall
Over the past half month, there has really been more rain than we can handle. Some pig farm owners complain: “My pig farm wasn’t brought down by African swine fever; it was brought down by the heavy rain!”
On the one hand, heavy rain itself poses a threat to the buildings and electrical wiring at pig farms. On the other hand, rainwater can carry various pathogens to other places. In the past, when pigs had been exposed to floodwater, we needed to restore dry conditions in the pig house as soon as possible, keep it warm, and add medicines such as amoxicillin, Astragalus polysaccharide, and compound vitamins to the feed to maintain the pigs’ resistance and prevent disease infections. Imagine heavy rain arriving, with water several tens of centimeters deep soaking all kinds of things. At that point, the African swine fever virus could be said to have been carried by the water in every direction.
Management is not keeping up
“Preventive treatment of disease” is becoming increasingly important in pig production. We vaccinate pigs and provide health care to prevent diseases in advance, so they do not break out or are eliminated while still in their early stages.
But manypig farmerHe seems not to have realized this yet and can only see what is “right in front of him”; he thinks that if the pigs are healthy now, there is no problem. To give a simple example, when a farmer raising 100 pigs has 3 pigs coughing, he either does nothing or gives them injections;
When 10 pigs are coughing, he still gives them injections. By the time half the pigs are coughing, he wants to solve the problem by mixing medication into the feed for the entire herd, but by then it is often already too late because lung lesions are irreversible and the disease is difficult to treat.
In pig farming, we really need to think ahead and take preventive measures. When the first signs of a problem appear, we need to consider what steps to take so that the remaining pigs do not develop the same problem. With African swine fever present, we cannot afford to let our management awareness fall behind.
Summary
We are currently at a climate turning point. In a farming environment ravaged by African swine fever, minimizing stress on the pig herd as much as possible is the first step in preventing disease. Autumn weather conditions are bound to accelerate the spread of African swine fever, so please ensure your farm’s biosecurity.
Disclaimer: Some article materials are sourced from the internet and have been marked