ABSTRACTChlamydia and Chlamydophila are species of a family of bacteria (Chlamydiaceae) that cause a range of diseases, including conjunctivitis, in a variety of animals including Pigs and humans. Some species cause zoonotic disease. This study examined the occurrence of Chlamydiaceae in samples taken from the lower eyelid conjunctiva in Pigs with and without conjunctivitis. The study was initiated based on a herd investigation aimed to examine the experienced increase of conjunctivitis in some finisher herds. This study was conducted as a case-control study, by collecting samples from 62 case Pigs (16-26 weeks old) and an equal number of controls, from three herds in Uppland, Sweden.

Nipahvirus is most likely spread from bats to other species and causes lethal encephalitis in humans and respiratory illness in Pigs. Different species are affected with varying severity but it seems to have an unprecedented zoonotic capacity and the humans affected either die or receive permanent brain damage. Full recovery is possible but very uncommon. Pigs that live and are bread in the areas that these bats frequent are constantly in danger of contracting pneumonias and meningitis and they can spread the virus further on to the people who work with the Pigs and process their carcasses. These workers could then infect other humans in their immediate surroundings, their families for instance.

The demand for animal products has increased in the last decades, especially for poultry and pork. Pork production has increased drastically globally, and also in Uganda. Thirty-one percent of Uganda´s population lives in poverty. Pig production is believed to play a crucial role in poverty alleviation, because of the ability to convert low quality feed into high quality protein together with high reproductive potential. African swine fever (ASF) is a lethal disease of domestic Pigs often characterized by haemorrhagic fever and with mortality rates up to 100%. The disease is endemic in most sub-Saharan countries and since 2007 in the Russian Federation and Caucasus area.

I have done a case-study about building a new stable for slaughter Pigs at a farm close to Kalmar. The farm is able to supply the breeding with cereals and it has enough area to spread the manure on. The most important factors to gain profit, is the cost for building the stable, the price of the feeding-stuff and the growth of the Pigs. The discount from the slaughter-house was less important than I thought from the beginning, and it?s a factor that is hard to influence. With the new production of slaughter-pig and cattle that already exist on the farm, the farm will get a well-functioned rotation of crops with lye and autumn rape as interruption-crop.

In Peru guinea Pigs are raised for meat production and salmonellosis is considered as a major problem. Studies have detected salmonella in animals with enteritis and pneumonia. Salmonellosis exists both in an acute and a chronic form. In the rural areas the diagnosis is made according to clinical signs and macro pathological findings at autopsy. The major systems applied for the guinea pig production are often classified as family, family-commercial and commercial. These systems differ in number of animals and how industrialised they are.

Slaughter of animals should consist of two steps in order to be considered humane. The first step of the slaughter process is stunning, with the purpose of inducing unconsciousness and insensibility in the animal. The second step is exsanguination, which causes bleeding and eventually death. What death really means in these situations has been discussed intensively, but still no agreed definition has been accepted. Nonetheless, it is conceded that animals are declared dead when consciousness is irreversibly lost, and absence of respiration and blood circulation are observed.

Virulent strains of Staphylococcus hyicus produce exfoliative toxins and cause a potentially fatal skin disease in piglets known as exudative epidermitis. Vaccines and antimicrobials are used to control the disease. Antimicrobial resistance and the prevalence of several different toxin genes and toxigenic strains make it problematic. The aim of this literature study was to identify potential differences between countries and between healthy and diseased Pigs regarding antimicrobial resistance and toxin-producing strains. Great differences could influence vaccine production, treatment strategies and surveillance programs.

In support to a decision to be made by the Swedish central competent authority on a minimal amount of straw for conventional growing-finishing Pigs, a study using 168 Pigs provided 7 different amounts of straw (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, 200 or 300 grams/pig/day) was performed. The straw was provided either once or four times per day. Detailed behaviour observations were made using focal animal sampling and continuous recording for one hour between 9 and 10 am and again between 3 and 4 pm. The data analysis is presented in three ways: broken stick model, polynomial trend line and logarithmic trend line. No method was suitable on its own but the use of all the methods simultaneously was found to portray the data in the best way.No significant differences were found when comparing pens provided with straw once or four times per day.

Diabetes mellitus is a rising epidemic throughout the world and there is currently great interest in quantifying the beta-cell mass (BCM) in vivo non-invasively. In the present experiment, the feasibility of in vivo imaging of the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) in beta-cells was examined, using the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer [68Ga]Ga-DO3A-VS-Cys40-exendin-4 as a marker, in native pancreatic beta-cells of a porcine diabetic animal model and healthy controls. Eight Swedish high-health domestic Pigs were randomly assigned to be either controls or made diabetic using streptozotocin (STZ). The experiment proceeded during eight weeks, starting with an acclimatisation period. Once the Pigs had been socialised they underwent surgery for the insertion of a jugular vein catheter, allowing induction of diabetes with STZ, intravenous (i.v.) injections and stress-free blood sampling. Development of diabetes was confirmed by clinical examinations, blood glucose values and insulin-staining of pancreatic sections post mortem. The diabetic Pigs were insulin treated and responded well.

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is a common virus present in most parts of the world. PCV2 has been pointed out as the major causative agent to post weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) that affects Pigs after weaning. The clinical symptoms of PMWS are impaired growth, diarrhoea, respiratory problems and increased mortality. At autopsy enlarged lymph nodes with depletion of lymphocytes are commonly found. Since 1991 PMWS has spread all over the world and was first described among Swedish Pigs in 2003. Although PCV2 is widespread, only some Pigs develop PCV2-related diseases. Why this is and what other factors that are required in order for the disease to develop is yet unknown. The main theories involve other infections, for example PRRS, and management issues but also genetic differences between Pigs and/or virus strains have been suggested.

The objective of this study was to investigate the attitude towards African swine fever (ASF) primarily among smallholder pig farmers but also among other actors along the pork value chain in Gulu district, Uganda. More specifically, the study aimed to investigate the specific challenges facing both farmers and other members of the pork value chain using participatory epidemiology (PE). ASF is a feared viral disease of Pigs associated with high mortality, which is endemic in many parts of Africa. The recent history of Gulu district in Northern Uganda can be described as turbulent and the human population has suffered during decades of war and civil unrest. Pig keeping is considered a potential opportunity for business as well as a way of providing more animal protein in the diet. However, this is threatened by ASF as farmers can lose entire herds due to the disease. This study can confirm some previously known factors and risk activities such as the free range system of Pigs and movement of Pigs and pork during ongoing outbreaks, which make disease control difficult.

In 2012, about 1.3 million boars were surgically castrated, most of them without anaesthesia. Castration is performed to avoid the occurrence of boar taint and aggressive and sexual behaviour. There is a growing concern about the welfare of the piglets and the Swedish Board of Agriculture is working to find efficient and functional alternatives to castration without anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to obtain an overall picture of the latest research about the alternatives to castration without anaesthesia, with focus on vaccination against boar taint, and how they affect the welfare of the Pigs. The alternative methods that are available today are surgical castration with anaesthesia and/or analgesia, rearing entire males and vaccination against boar taint.

The purpose of this report was to compare two different options for expanding of an existing pig farm. For the time being there are low prices within the agricultural market of pig production, and it is interesting to see if it is worth expanding or not. The two different options this report is based on are: expanding from a herd with 50 sows in breeding gilt production to a herd with 100 sows in breeding gilt production (option 1), or expanding to a herd with 140 sows in breeding gilt production (option 2). The number of pregnant gilts produced per year will stay the same for both alternatives; about 300 pregnant gilts per year. The rest of the breeding gilts will be sold at a weight of 25 kg. The Pigs that are not sold as breeding gilts (e.g. castrates, and female Pigs that are too small or that have disorders) will be kept on the farm as growing-finishing Pigs until 120 kg of live weight, and then sold to the slaughter house. By using the existing buildings, even after the expanding, the investment costs, and thereby costs for housing, were kept as low as possible.

The purpose of this essay was to try to find out if the optimal farrowing pen exists. By interviewing producers, veterinarians and salesmen and also through a literature study, I have tried to evaluate advantages and disadvantages regarding different types of pen formations and environmental details. The interviews with the producers showed that they all were satisfied with their particular farrowing pen. It also showed that one material can be functional in one farrowing pen but not in another. The determining factor for the outcome of the farrowing pen was the individual experience and the way of thinking of the producers. The veterinarians were of the opinion that there today were no existing farrowing pens that responded to the Pigs needs. However, the results on the farms were generally good. The salesmen thought that the production costs could be lower if a sort of a standard pen was used.

Fermented liquid feed is well known for its health promoting effects on piglets. High levels of lactic acid are desired in the feed together with low levels of acetic acid and certain biogenic amines. Limits for acetic acid have been suggested to be 30-40 mmol/kg to avoid a decreased palatability of the feed; however, few studies have been performed. The purpose of this trial was therefore to examine which levels of lactic acid and acetic acid that can be accepted in a fermented feed without affecting the feed intake and thus the weight gain of the pig. A total of 60 Pigs (Yorkshire/ Hampshire) were used in a trial during two weeks, between 9-11 weeks of age.