Change the boar to beat wasting disease?

摘要

There can be no doubt that PMWS has been one of the hot subjects on pig health over the past few years. Amid the extraordinary amount of information generated by research and practical experience concerning this killer of weaned pigs, particularly fierce debate has revolved around the notion that there might be a breed effect. In its simplest terms the notion suggests that units hit hard by PMWS could benefit from changing the breed of boar they use for weaner production. Most attention in this regard centres on anecdotal evidence from western cope better than others when faced with a PMWS challenge. Within the past year, however, the Danish arm of breeder PIC has been involved in a trial in Denmark to test a change of boar breed towards a greaterPietrain influence, at herds suffering severe death losses due to the wasting syndrome.