Biosecurity holds the key to fight swine maladies in the Philippines

 

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The years 2008 and 2009 were recorded as the worst periods for the swine industry in the Philippines as diseases plagued nearly all farms in the country, bringing the sector to its lowest in a decade.

 

As experts scrambled to find solutions, speculations abound that animal maladies are getting more resilient, evidenced by the deadly AH1N1 as well as the recurrence of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and other swine diseases.

 

While health specialists are still trying to find cure, the government and stakeholders are one in saying that biosecurity is now a critical issue especially at the present time when ailments are getting more dangerous than ever.

 

Though the nature and complexities of arising diseases are hard to understand, a proper comprehension of biosecurity will have a longer and more stable effect for swine production, reveals Dr. Eugene Mende, veterinary services manager for San Miguel Foods Feeds and Animal Health Care.

 

In his paper presented during the three-day INAHGEN exhibit held this month, Mende says that farms should not just focus on biosecurity programme but have a comprehensive understanding on how biosecurity measures are executed to outwit disease outbreaks.

 

Mende enumerates seven important applications to ensure that biosecurity protocols are in place.

 

Second is the shower in-shower out protocols. Mende tells basic sanitation appears to be very effective at getting rid of swine pathogens from the human body. This protocol is needed particularly workers coming from "anteroom" and "pass-through windows" - areas that are already vulnerable to PPRSV, E.coli and other viral infections based from recent studies.

 

From this point, he says farms should establish a neutral (off-farm) receiving point for all containers and shipping parcels. He recommends the use of glutaraldehyde-quaternary ammonium spray to disinfect the farm and allow the air dry prior to entry into the farm to prevent contamination.

 

Third is personnel downtime. Mende says personnel nowadays are forced to follow downtime policies of 48 to 72 hours that are based on little scientific foundation. "The 48-hour rule was based on some very old publications assessing the ability of people to harbour foot-and-mouth-disease and mycoplasma.

 

However, recent researches indicate shorter recovery times of FMD from people and the inability of personnel to spread the mycoplasma hyopneumonia from infected naïve herds despite multiple attempts over extended periods of time.

 

Finally, latest researches also demonstrated the inability of personnel to harbour or transmit PPRS virus (PPRSV) following completion of basic sanitation protocols," explains Mende. For this reason, Mende recommends to evaluate all downtime regulations that exceed 24 hours as long as basic sanitation protocols are applied such as shower, foot baths and other sanitation measures.

 

Fourth is the vehicle/truck cleanliness. Mende says Actinobacillus pleuropneumonia (APP) and streptococcus suis have already been confirmed to be transmitted by contaminated trucks and vehicles. "E.coli and salmonella have been recovered from bedding and truck floors even after regular washing programme," says Mende. "Furthermore, trucks also played important roles in spreading PRRSV from a contaminated premise to a simulated farm. Not only could truck-wash serve as a site for contamination of personnel footwear, but also the interior of the trucks could harbour infectious PPRSV over a 50-kilometre distance."

 

To prevent trucks and vehicles as vectors for disease, Mende says to ensure efficient truck wash facilities with efficient disinfectant system. He said it's also best to use disposable booths when washing trucks and ensure no re-entry of personnel from marketing/truck area back into the herd.

 

Fifth is rodent control. Mende confirms that rodents have been documented to transmit many pathogens and damage pig facilities. To avoid rodent population explosion, Mende says it is effective for a farmer to make a monthly programme to exterminate rodents.

 

Sixth is bird proofing of facilities. According to Mende, natural transmission of swine pathogens from birds to pigs has not been demonstrated but a single study shows that transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) is transmitted by starlings up to 32 hours. One laboratory report also suggested the role of Mallard ducks as biological vectors of PPRSV and other pathogens. Mende suggests installing insect screens on sidewall openings of existing facilities.

 

Seventh and the last is fomite management. The role of fomites (boots, coveralls and shipping parcels) in the transmission of PPRSV and TGEB is well-documented, according to Mende. While some farms may possess fumigation rooms to disinfect fomites, the efficacy of these protocols is unknown, notes Mende.

 

"Fomites that enter the animal air space must be considered a risk for it is contaminated and allowed to contact the hands of personnel, particularly PPRSV and TGEV that can be hand-delivered to the pig population." It is important, he says, to disinfect and properly sanitise fomites to alleviate pathogen contamination.

 

Mende says these seven applications are important biosecurity protocols and that should be considered in implementing biosecurity programmes.

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