Current research is focusing on integrated longitudinal assessment of animal welfare at farm-level. Housing and management systems may influence pain, discomfort, fear, hunger and abnormal behaviour of farm animals. Poor health records and increased levels of haptoglobin have been shown to correlate with an unfavourable environment but, as yet, few data are available regarding variation between individual animals. Hence, a project was carried out using 78 pig farms (farrow-to-finish), 19-20 in each season, with data on housing and management being collected during visits. At slaughter, pathological findings and blood samples were taken from 60 pigs from each farm. Blood samples were analysed for Lawsonia intracellularis (PIA), Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, salmonella, and haptoglobin values (HAP) (10 samples). Data were analysed with descriptive statistics and analysis of variance. Housing and management characteristics were considered separately and integrated according to Berns (1996). Pigs from higher-ranking farms (ie those scoring higher for housing [space score] and management [sanitary barriers, cleaning, disinfection, climatic control, breeding protocol]) showed lower HAP levels (P < 0.04), with lower within-farm variability (P < 0.06). HAP levels were higher in pigs infected with PIA (P < 0.04) or having lung lesions (P < 0.02). A negative correlation was found between fasting before transport and lung lesions, HAP levels being lower when pigs with lung lesions were fasted. Haptoglobin sampling in the slaughterline is, therefore, relevant for integrative welfare assessment of slaughter pigs at individual level and for longitudinal monitoring at farm level.
Risk factors for Salmonellosis in pigs were investigated in a cross-sectional study on 62 Belgian farrow-to-finish herds belonging to one slaughterhouse cooperation. Herd data were collected using a questionnaire. The outcome variable, the percentage of positive animals per slaughterhouse delivery, was determined by qualitative Salmonella isolation from the mesenterial lymph nodes. Variables significantly related to the Salmonella prevalence in the univariate analyses were subsequently analysed in a multivariate model. Furthermore, the clustering of Salmonella infection within the pen was studied. The median percentage of positive samples per delivery was 64.5%. In the multivariate model, only type of floor significantly influenced the prevalence independently (p<0.05) with a fully slatted floor leading to the lowest Salmonella prevalence. Clustering between pigs from the same pen could not be demonstrated. The risk factors investigated here could only explain a small amount of the variability between herds.
Salmonella control programs in pigs are usually based on serological tests. The major objective of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the correlation between the serological results and the bacteriological results of Salmonella diagnosis in pigs at the herd level and at the animal level. From 60 farrow-to-finish herds, serum samples and mesenterial lymph nodes from 30 fattening pigs were taken in the slaughterhouse. Antibodies were determined using an indirect mix-ELISA. Qualitative Salmonella isolation was carried out on the lymph nodes. From a representative number of isolates, serotypes were determined. At the herd level, a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.28 was calculated (p = 0.03). The OR between serology and bacteriology based on individual samples was 1.54 (0.83-2.24). Associations were found between the serological and the bacteriological diagnosis, although not significant.
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